


Corcorans Prefer Blondes

by LarsIsDead



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Awkward Sexual Situations, Car Sex, Cunnilingus, Drunk Sex, Dubious Consent in Dream Sequence, F/F, Mild Blood, Mild S&M, Nipple Play, Parent/Child Incest, Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Spanking, Threesome - F/F/F, Wet Dream, Wet Dream Violence, erotic spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:27:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 70,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22795519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarsIsDead/pseuds/LarsIsDead
Summary: Slightly AU, end of third season. A septuplet of idiocy starting with a wet dream involving Shelby and Quinn. Rachel tries to get through a duet with Quinn without thinking about said dream and eventual smut ensues. Shelby ponders her future with Rachel and has an awkward run-in with an old flame. Strange nonsense with other characters ensues in between. Tried to imagine an alternate universe where Shelby and Rachel incorporate Quinn into their dynamics and this happened.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray, Rachel Berry/Shelby Corcoran, Rachel Berry/Shelby Corcoran/Quinn Fabray, Shelby Corcoran/April Rhodes, Shelby Corcoran/Quinn Fabray
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	1. A Very Long, Absurd F*cking Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate universe, shenanigans, incest, shameless bonking. Oh, and threesomes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title says it all. Rachel has a vivid, lewd dream involving Shelby and Quinn. Spanking, cunnilingus and ravishment ensue. Mild depictions of violence inflicted on Rachel. Chapter ends with fluff and light smut.

Chapter 1: A Very Long, Absurd Fucking Dream

_How did we get here?_

Her mother was dragging her down an open, empty hallway, heels strutting and clicking at a brisk, rhythmic pace, one that now matched the girl’s maddened heartrate as she watched the bleached linoleum floor race under her feet. Many times, she’d often fantasized about strutting down these very halls, usually during some over-the-top, lavish musical number, maybe clad in a tight dress and a pair of black suede pumps, no backup bitches necessary. Never did she imagine it would be anything like this, her wrist held fast in her mother’s iron grip and no clear hint or spoken word as to where they were headed. She followed clumsily behind, desperately trying to avoid tripping over her own feet, whipping her head around with a constant cautionary glance over her shoulder.

God, if anybody noticed them—noticed _her_ —being hauled off mercilessly by her mother like a little girl… oh, the humanity! The vice locked down on her wrist was more than painful enough without her potentially spraining her ankles in her own heels. She swore she’d never seen Shelby move so fast—or with so much ferocity, such vigor—as they shuffled past door after door, the lockers now a red, angry blur in motion.

She lagged behind, her knee skidding roughly on the smooth flooring before she felt a sharp, impatient jerk of her wrist.

“Mommy,” she whimpered, the white of Shelby’s knuckles a stark contrast to the deep crimson handprint branded into her wrist.

Shelby said nothing, only kept up her stride with her daughter hobbling in tow. They rounded the corner before arriving suddenly at what Rachel recognized as the wide double doors to the auditorium. Why would they go here? It was bound to be dark and empty, hours before there would even be another rehearsal. Surely, it would still be locked? Why had her mother chosen to drag her here of all places?

Without a word, Shelby threw them open, her anger seemingly enough to force both doors to pump violently against the back wall with the strength of just one arm. Rachel’s skinned knee clipped crudely on the doorframe on their way in. The doors clanged shut behind them, the girl brought wordlessly up and onto the vast open stage, conveniently illuminated before either of them set foot on it. It wasn’t until then that Shelby finally decided to relinquish hold of her. She staggered under the beaming lights, rubbing the circulation back into her poor wrist, fixing her mother with a bemused glare.

“Mommy, what—“ she broke off upon feeling Shelby’s deft hand slam against her blushing cheek. She stumbled backwards, hand flying instantly to cup her discoloring face. She met Shelby’s cold, green gaze, mouth agape, tears springing to her own dark orbs.

“You think you’re funny,” came her mother’s voice over her ringing ears. “You think it’s cute to just storm out whenever the hell you want?”

“ _What_?”

“You still think you can just walk right over everyone else? Get your own way?”

Rachel was struck with the sudden realization as she continued to nurse her reddened cheek. So, _that_ was what landed her here? A few coarse words and blunt criticism aimed, once again, at another New Directions member? Criticism that likely no one fucking asked for? It appeared her mouth had thrown her in hot water with her mother yet again. The only issue was that she couldn’t seem to remember what it was she had even said, much less who her comments were directed towards. Even more puzzling was how Shelby had managed to find out in the first goddamn place. Both had established early on since their reconnection that they would steer clear of each other’s rehearsals for obvious reasons. Reasons unbeknownst to any and every one on school grounds.

She hoped.

“I thought we’d moved past this by now,” Shelby continued, inching closer, Rachel drawing back further away, anywhere to escape her mother’s wrath. ”I thought you would’ve learned by now that the world doesn’t revolve around you, that other people matter. But, no I guess not, right? Screw everyone else and screw me, too, right?”

Rachel stood dumbstruck, her heels now teetering on the edge of the stage. If Shelby had come any closer, she would have fallen straight back, though Shelby made no remark of concern. “I don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about! What is even happening right now?!”

Before she could go on, Shelby caught hold of her wrist again, dragging her over to a piano stool that had miraculously appeared out of nowhere. Up until this moment, the stage had been totally empty, save for the two of them. A vague memory of this very stool and its missing instrument surfaced from the deep recesses of her mind. She had little time to muddle through it as Shelby moved to sit, yanking her ragdoll frame over her splayed thighs. She felt her stomach tighten.

_Oh, hell no. Not this shit again._

“It’s high time you get over yourself, princess,” Shelby said, one arm coiling around her slim waist, the other reaching to flip up her red, checkered skirt, Rachel shocked to find she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. “Your fathers may have spoiled you. I won’t make the same mistake.”

Rachel struggled fruitlessly against her mother’s powerful arms, Shelby’s grip tightening with each futile attempt to escape. “Mommy, stop!”

At that moment, Shelby’s open palm connected with her backside. Rachel’s body jolted upright, spasming wildly, her ass now lit with pain as her mother’s hand came down over and over.

“Time for you to grow up, princess,” Shelby lectured, hand paused mid-strike seemingly for added emphasis. “You pompous brat, you think everyone’s just gonna roll out the red fucking carpet for you and only you?” Her hand clapped down loudly against her bared flesh once again, yielding fresh tears streaming down the girl’s cheeks. Her legs flailed madly behind her, Shelby’s hand mercilessly raining down blow after blow in rapid succession.

She remembered, all too well, the last time her mother had corrected her this harshly, one of many times her biting words had set her straight in Shelby’s crosshairs. How could she forget being slung helplessly over her mother’s knees, her stinging palm bringing unadulterated heat to her ass and other places she’d rather not mention, the source of that damnable heat soon coursing down her bared thighs? It was, indeed, Rachel’s primal reaction that had prevented Shelby from spanking her ever again, apart from the occasional swat delivered in jest more often than not. She very much remembered storming off in tears, secretly wanting to go back and beg for more, have Shelby throw her down and have her then and there once it was over.

And though she hadn’t the faintest idea what had earned her a trip over Shelby’s knee this time, the effects were very much the same. Each reverberating slap shot a pulsating spark straight to her cunt, her nipples stiffening painfully against the confines of thick nylon, her thighs shifting and chafing together in effort to mask what emanated between them.

“How do I get through to you?” Shelby continued in the same jeering tone, pausing again in obvious punctuation before resuming the punishment.

Rachel’s head swam, blood rushing hot to her ears as she kicked, begged and cried, her body flexed at an awkward angle, head swung low.

“Mommy doesn’t like to punish her little girl,” Shelby crooned, light and chastising, her hand cinched around the girl’s hip. “But if you act spoiled, I won’t hesitate. You can’t get your way all the time.” Her gaze slipped to admire the smooth flesh of Rachel’s upturned ass, fingers trailing low until they reached warm, damp curls. She squirmed in vain to close her legs, the shame all too real. Her mother’s smarting palm issued another warning strike before swiftly returning to the gathering wetness below.

“A depraved, volatile little mix,” Shelby remarked, thumbing intently over her clit. “For all the smack you like to talk in glee, you don’t look so high and mighty right now, princess.” Her fingers traced a perfect outline around her vulva, parting and dabbing lightly. She scoffed inwardly, the pad of her fingertips coming back slick. “I should’ve known you’d enjoy this. Even over my knee, you’re still bad as ever.”

She sobbed pitifully, Shelby’s lewd words only serving to make her clit twitch. She jostled aimlessly in her lap, her mother’s persistent hand coming away before landing solidly on her swollen center with a wet, resounding smack.

“Going somewhere, princess?” Shelby taunted, the leering grin evident in her voice. “And here I thought you liked it when Mommy played with your pussy....”

Rachel shuddered beneath her grasp. Shelby had never dared to swat her cunt before. She had no idea what motivated her to start now. She briefly focused her blurry eyes on the legs of the stool, fighting to understand why this all felt so familiar. She blinked before another set of legs appeared just behind the stool, the missing piano itself somehow materializing out of nothing. This place, this scene… when had they last…?

Her head dropped further down, bright parallel beams above them flooding her vision, damn near blinding her. Sweat soaked clearly through her thin, white blouse, rivering down her back and thighs. She had practiced many times before at this very piano, with the rest of New Directions, by herself, even. But when was the last time she and Shelby had paid a visit here together?

Before she could piece her befuddled thoughts together, she was shoved unceremoniously off her mother’s lap, her body sprawling in a tangled heap center stage.

“I’m so sick of playing these games with you,” Shelby bit out, dusting her rosy palms off on the crinkled hem of her dress. Rachel glanced down to examine herself, her own skirt a rumpled mess bunched around her waist, doing little to nothing to buffer her tender backside from the fall.

“Why do you do it?” Shelby demanded, voice low and husky. “Why do you insist on wearing me out like this?”

She leaned back against the baby grand, hands drifting and rubbing so far up to where her dress hiked a few inches up her smooth, alabaster thighs. The neckline opened up into a V-neck that didn’t exist before, light spilling onto the top of her now exposed cleavage. Rachel gaped unabashedly from her spot on the ground. Shelby never looked so pale, so shamelessly exposed, her skin a translucent contrast to her dark hair shimmering under the beams overhead. And— _Jesus!_ —what the fuck happened to that dress, once purple and now pitch black, a new tear slit up her thigh? Rachel felt a new wave of whiplash overtake her.

She swallowed thickly before creeping steadily on all fours towards her, accentuating every move with a deliberate sway of her hips, anything to distract and appease Shelby in the most immediate form possible.

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” she simpered, her tears now dried streaks trekking down her red-brimmed cheeks. Placing tentative hands on her mother’s knees, she drew her legs apart, her eyes never once leaving Shelby’s unrelenting gaze.

“Please,” she murmured, lowering her mouth, watching Shelby’s eyebrow lift suspiciously. “Let me make it up to you.”

With that, she dove in, her tongue lashing out at her mother’s reddened clit, her own emerging as she coaxed Shelby’s out of its hood. A wave of heat surged through her nose and mouth, her mother’s heat clearly having started long before Rachel was brought to her knees. She barely had time to take a breath before Shelby gripped the back of her head, mashing her face deeper into her core. Rachel’s eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head, her mother’s wanton, intoxicating musk flooding her senses.

“God… fuck yes,” Shelby seethed, flexing her hips. “Show me what else that pretty little mouth can do.”

Wordlessly, she obeyed, her tongue feverishly delving in and out of her mother’s slick, brewing cunt. Her head burrowed deeper as she drank her down, her nose nudging Shelby’s clit as she worked. Her tongue drew back swiftly, lips parting to suction her delicate inner folds before dragging them hungrily into her mouth. She let out an involuntary moan, the feel of the blood rushing to her mother’s warmed flesh driving her up the wall. God, what she wouldn’t give to have Shelby ravage her against the wall once she was done! The thought alone sent a tremor to her own starving cunt.

“You know what? I don’t think you’re all that sorry,” Shelby groaned, fisting her hand into her daughter’s long, dark tresses, pressing her tighter to her center. Rachel gave a small yelp of surprise, her protests muffled as Shelby’s legs locked around her head.

She couldn’t remember the last time Shelby had been this forward, so eager to have her mouth on her. Twice as shocking was how Shelby had let her venture there at all. She stole a glance up at her, eyes straining to see as her mother’s lust filled cries goaded her on, Shelby’s hair tossed back in a harried mess, one hand clutching the back of the stool while the other remained curled in her daughter’s hair. She passed her tongue over her lower lip, dragging it between her teeth as she bore down around Rachel’s artful fingers, which, at some point, had stealthily slipped inside.

“ _Fuck!_ Ray,” she grunted, untangling her fingers from Rachel’s long locks and reaching down to fondle the girl’s breast through the flimsy confines of her blouse.

Rachel’s teeth closed gently around her clit, her nipples puckered at the sharp contact of Shelby’s fingers. She pulled back and carefully extracted her fingers, caked in essence, sucking them into her mouth before wrapping an arm around one of Shelby’s shapely thighs. She lowered her mouth again in hot pursuit, nails biting into the smooth surface of her mother’s inner thigh, Shelby’s own fingers pinching and pulling at one of her nipples.

On and on, her tongue danced, her mother’s pleasured cries carrying higher and higher until—

“ _Poker face!_ ”

Her head nearly shot up from between Shelby’s legs, so unnerved by the sudden outburst she barely registered her mother spewing graciously into her mouth. So, _that_ explained why this all felt so familiar. Truth be told, she couldn’t remember them ever having a solid moment together by the piano like that since their first duet. It was a shame they had to reunite here under such extreme circumstances.

“That’s _one_ way to improve your range,” an all too familiar voice intoned behind her.

Rachel’s head snapped in its general direction, panic settling deep within her belly. Her eyes narrowed, her vision blurring to accommodate the sudden darkness. There, lingering by double doors stretched ahead stood Quinn Fabray, hair fully restored in a high pony on top of her head, the ruffles of her cheer uniform revealing a pair of firm, toned legs even at a distance.

“A little on the nose,” she continued, slowly emerging into the light, “but hey. Who am I to complain?”

Rachel leapt to her feet in a fumbled attempt to pull herself together, disengaging herself from Shelby’s punishing fingers. A rush of air carried up her skirt as she stood, enough to make her wince in pain, her ass still very much sore from her mother’s lesson. She rushed to button her blouse, looking to Shelby for help in formulating some semblance of an explanation. She never imagined it would go down like this. Caught between her mother’s legs, on campus of all places, mouth swollen, Shelby’s leg hiked over her shoulder.

And for _fuck’s_ sake, out of everyone in Lima who could’ve found them, why did it have to be Quinn?!

Shelby was unfazed. “Miss Fabray,” she drawled. “ _Quelle surprise!_ ”

Even in the dark, Rachel could clearly make out a twisted smirk etched into the blonde’s features. She offered no remark, never once stole a glance in Rachel’s direction as she neared the lip of the stage. She didn’t even bother to finish readjusting herself, catching an odd, mischievous glint in Quinn’s eyes as she approached them.

“Well?” Shelby said with one brow raised emphatically, legs splayed generously. “Come to check out the competition?”

Quinn climbed up effortlessly, the smile never leaving her face. “In more ways than one.”

Rachel scampered off to the side, unsure of what to do now that they’d been discovered. Shelby barely seemed to notice, absentmindedly examining her nails as Quinn came closer, closer than Rachel admittedly cared for.

“Not the rehearsal I was expecting,” she remarked dryly, tucking a few wispy, golden locks behind her ear. “Still, can’t say I’m disappointed.”

“Tell me more,” Shelby beckoned, never bothering to close her legs, the look in her eyes practically inviting. Quinn took the bait, the two of them exchanging a long meaningful glance as she strolled forward. Rachel stared back and forth between them, searching her mind for something, _anything_ , to break the awkward tension in the air. Her words failed her, the lecherous gaze between them growing more apparent by the minute.

Without preamble, Quinn was pulled into her mother’s lap with a practiced ease, Shelby smashing their lips together, Quinn returning the favor with a matched vigor. Rachel watched in horror, a morbid mixture of envy, disgust, and—much to her own shame—arousal forming low in her belly. As her gaze lingered, they clutched each other tighter, Quinn mounting to straddle Shelby’s hips, arms looped around her neck, Shelby’s own hands roaming wildly in search of whatever trace of flesh she could find. The skirt of Quinn’s uniform offered little coverage, hiking farther up as Shelby’s nails raked over her thighs.

“You shouldn’t wear this thing around so much, Tink,” Shelby admonished lightly, the girl’s mouth drifting along her jaw, all the way to her ear. Quinn paid her no mind, lost in the feel of smooth, pale skin beneath her lips, Shelby’s hand disappearing under her skirt.

_Tink?!_ Fucking _Tinkerbell?!_

Rage discolored her cheeks, a wave of jealousy rolling hotly over her.

_No_ fucking _way…._

Quinn melted at the endearment, joining their lips again before shifting off her lap, Shelby cradling the back of her head as she moved down to bury her face between her ample breasts, her nipples pebbling in effect.

Rachel finally decided she’d had enough.

“Get away from my mother, bitch,” she growled.

Quinn’s eyes slid over, barely grazing in her direction. “You weren’t treating her like a mother two minutes ago,” she taunted, her menacing grin enough to set Rachel off again. Shelby didn’t even spare her a glance, her head tipped back as she nudged Quinn closer.

Her nostrils flared. “Did you hear what the fuck I just said? Get away from her,” she snarled.

Refusing to be ignored, she started forward, ready to tear the girl off her mother before Quinn turned halfway in Shelby’s lap. Before she could object, Quinn’s hand shot out, ripping away at the loose fabric of her blouse. Buttons popped off and flew in every direction, Rachel recoiling with a startled cry. Her breasts tumbled free, her bra doing little to conceal her toughened nipples. Her mouth dropped open, her gaze locked on the pair leering hungrily at her.

Shelby crooked a finger under the blonde’s chin. “Bring her to me,” she commanded in a hushed whisper, sending her off with a swift smack to her ass.

Rachel shrank back, Quinn advancing on her with a predatory gaze. “Quinn, what are you doing?”

“Shut up,” she snapped, seizing her arm and throwing her with superhuman strength until she landed backwards into Shelby’s clutches once again.

Shelby’s hands cuffed down around her wrists, pinning them flush to her side. She struggled to twist free, Shelby’s legs coming to tangle around her own and bind her in place.

“I wouldn’t, baby girl,” she purred into her ear. “You’re fine right where you are.”

Rachel froze, the tone in Shelby’s voice leaving no room for argument, the sting in her backside serving as a subtle reminder of what might happen if she moved. Her breath hitched in her throat as the blade of Shelby’s tongue flicked over her ear.

Quinn was on her now, dividing the ruined remains of her blouse, eyes never leaving the tips of her breasts as she slid the garment down her shoulders. Rachel shuddered, practically feeling her nipples peak under her sharp gaze. When she was sure Rachel would remain still, Shelby withdrew her hands, tracing her fingertips along the lower band of her bra before promptly snapping open the clasp. Quinn helped to remove it, the article tossed carelessly off to the side.

“I can’t decide which one of you I hate the most,” Quinn pondered aloud, running the pad of her forefinger over the junction between Rachel’s breasts all the way down to her belly. “Honestly, you’re by far the most pretentious cunts I’ve ever met in my fuckin’ life,” she laughed, the obscenity rolling smoothly off her tongue.

Rachel shivered between them, unsure of what was even happening to her. Over her mother’s lap one minute and sandwiched between her and Quinn the next…. What kind of drugs was she on?!

Shelby’s grim chuckle came over her shoulder. “Please! We both know you’ve wanted this for a while now.”

Rachel wriggled uncomfortably between them. “Mommy, what—“

“Enough, Rachel,” Shelby said, tapping her hip in warning, her breath skimming over her bare shoulder. “I told you not to interrupt.”

“Interrupt what?” Rachel sputtered. “Please let me go—“

She was cut off abruptly as Quinn’s lips crashed into her own, Rachel’s hands flying up instantly to shove her away. Shelby caught hold of her wrists again, wrenching them behind her back. She screamed into her mouth as Quinn jerked her head back, Shelby leaning down to sink her teeth into her daughter’s shoulder. She clenched her eyes tightly, anything to escape this horror, moaning into Quinn’s mouth as Shelby’s questing fingers sought out her dripping slit again, playing over her pretty pink flesh.

Finally, Quinn drew back, leaving her breathless.

“Quinn,” she panted, her head swimming. “Quinn, please—“

The blonde’s hand sailed through the air in a blur and caught her in the mouth. Rachel’s head rocked back violently, blood springing from a fresh gash in her lip. Her head hung low, shoulders heaving with broken sobs.

“Please,” Quinn sneered, fixing her grip on the girl’s chin, “for once in your life, kindly shut the fuck up.”

She heard Shelby snort behind her, her clit twitching as her mother’s fingers dipped slowly in and out of her, conditioning her to the pain whether she meant to or not.

Quinn directed her eyes toward Shelby again. “Well? Can I…?” Rachel could’ve sworn she detected a hint of desperation in her voice, Quinn’s eyes searching Shelby’s for approval.

Again, the dark chuckle. “Go ahead,” she said, withdrawing and flexing her soaked fingers as if to prove a point. “She’s ready now.”

Quinn’s mouth stretched into a lewd grin, dropping low to capture one of Rachel’s darkened nipples. Rachel let out a low whine, protesting weakly in spite of her pleasure seeping into Shelby’s persistent hand.

“Shh, easy now, princess,” her mother cooed with surprising gentleness, guiding Rachel to lean back fully against her. “Just relax. Shoulders back… that’s a good girl. Stick those tits out for me.”

She arched into Quinn’s mouth with a subdued whimper. Shelby’s hands moved to knead and mold her breasts, helping to push them further into Quinn’s mouth, the blonde’s hand traveling down to cup her dripping void.

“Feels good, doesn’t she, Tink?” Shelby drawled. “Everything you expected?”

Quinn hummed in agreement, her mouth never leaving Rachel’s breast. She used the tip of her nail to tease her open, slipping effortlessly inside.

“Jesus, that’s fuckin’ tight,” she hissed, reclaiming her finger to sample a taste. She squatted down between Rachel’s knees, her crystal gaze burning into Rachel’s core as she spread her open.

“Sorry,” she locked eyes with her. “But you know I’ve never been able to resist temptation.” Her head vanished under her skirt.

Rachel threw her head back, her body stiffening against Shelby’s as Quinn’s lips sealed around her pert clit to suck, drawing deep guttural moans from her lips.

Shelby’s enticing fingers continued to work around her small breasts, tweaking and pinching mercilessly at her nipples, her lips glued to Rachel’s neck. Using what little willpower she had left, she shifted away from the blonde’s unyielding tongue, Shelby’s arms tightening around her at the slightest move.

“Keep going,” she ordered. “She’s not going anywhere. If she fights me, she knows what’ll happen.” She redirected her attention to the trembling girl in her lap.

Quinn readily obeyed, her tongue slithering in quickening circles around Rachel’s swollen nub before entering her, Shelby reaching down to stroke the head bobbing between her legs. Shelby’s hand fell away, Quinn rising slowly to meet Rachel’s gaze. Relief washed over her, Rachel silently hoping it was almost over until Quinn swept aside her own skirt, the feel of something rough poking and prodding against her. Her stomach fell. Surely, it wasn’t…? No. It couldn’t have been. There was no way in hell a simple cheer uniform could accommodate hiding that.

Quinn stole an inquisitive glance at her mother again, Shelby nodding into her daughter’s shoulder in turn. Her lips curled into a wry smile, Rachel fearing the worst. Without warning, Quinn cast aside her skirt with a dramatic flair, a monster of a shaft harnessed to her front. Rachel felt her insides twist in both horror and amusement. Quinn was undoubtedly _way_ too small to sport something so ridiculously huge. She almost managed to laugh until she remembered the nonverbal exchange between them, sealing her fate.

She thrashed helplessly in her mother’s lap, Quinn’s fist belting her across the mouth before her legs were thrown open again. Strangled cries fell from the girl’s bloodied mouth as Quinn slammed into her, reaming her open, Shelby bucking into her from behind. She snatched her head back by the hair, gnashing her teeth into Rachel’s neck, the girl’s hips shooting up involuntarily as her mother’s fingers found her abused cunt one last time.

“Oh, god,” Shelby husked, releasing her grip on Rachel’s wrist to cup the back of Quinn’s neck and pull her in for a kiss, Rachel begging and crying for the end.

_No, no, no, no, no, no—_

***

“NO!”

She stirred and jolted upright in bed, her screams piercing the deafening silence of the room. Her eyes bounced blindly around the room, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as she struggled to regain her bearing.

“Whoa! And… _no!”_ She buried her face in her hands. “No, no, no—“

“Ray?” Shelby bolted up alongside her, voice laden with concern, a comforting contrast to whatever alternate version of her Rachel experienced earlier. “Baby?” She touched a hand to the small of her daughter’s back, the warmth anchoring her steadily back to reality.

Rachel turned to look at her, desperately seeking out her familiar features, almost afraid the dream had never truly ended. The room was dark save for a small sliver of light from the streetlamps peeling in through the curtains, Shelby’s naked form silhouetted before her. She could vaguely make out her mother’s harried expression.

“Fine,” she nodded slowly. “I-I’m fine.”

Shelby let out a short breath, reaching up to scratch her head, her breasts swaying slightly as she moved. It was then that Rachel thought of her own nakedness, her mind whirling back to the slow, tender goodnight they had given each other just hours before then. She shuddered, remembering what soon followed.

“Bad dream?” Shelby surmised.

She squirmed, the wetness between her knees growing more and more apparent with each movement. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Shelby shushed her gently, her arms instinctively opening for Rachel to fall into. “Sweet baby. It’s fine. Don’t even worry about it. C’mere.” She cuddled her close, kissing the top of her head. “Mommy’s right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She thought back morbidly to what she’d witnessed in her dream, shivering in spite of Shelby’s warmth. “You promise?”

Shelby gave a sleepy chuckle. “Silly. Of course I do. It’s over now. Mommy’s gotcha.” 

She scooped her up and leaned them back, snuggling her head to her chest. Rachel’s breath evened out slowly, her mother’s hands massaging loving circles into her bare back. Shelby’s own elevated heartrate slowed beneath her ear, Rachel’s head moving along with the rise and fall of her chest. On any other given night, she would have gladly gone back to sleep, the gentle thrum of her mother’s heartbeat or the sound of her voice enough to lull her peacefully back. Here and now, with the gruesome details of her dream still fresh on her mind, the unwavering heat burning in her center, sleep was damn near impossible.

She craned her neck and glanced over at the burning red neon of the clock. Nearly two in the morning. Shelby wouldn’t be up again for another four hours. Surely, there was enough time for just one more…?

Shelby’s hands stilled against her back, resuming their earlier ministrations when she felt the girl stir in her arms again. She rose and untangled herself from Shelby’s arms, bracing herself above her, hands on either side of her mother’s head. Shelby sighed deeply at the loss of contact, delivering a few light taps to her ass.

“Come on, sweetheart. Back to bed. It’s late.”

Rachel said nothing, only smiled, leaning down to kiss her parted lips, Shelby far too tired to reciprocate. Still, she didn’t seem to mind until she felt the sheets rustle, Rachel’s kisses creeping lower and lower.

“Ray,” she firmed her voice.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Rachel murmured around one of her nipples, hips undulating slowly, deliberately.

“Ugh. Go back to sleep,” she groaned, turning and rolling away from her. “Christ, you’re like a rabbit.”

Rachel wouldn’t be thwarted that easily. “I need you,” she pleaded, peppering her neck and shoulders with kisses, one arm draped over Shelby’s hip.

“Rachel, I swear to god, if you don’t go back to sleep…” she trailed off, fatigue seeping out of her voice with each passing second.

Rachel held fast. “Please,” she pressed, her stray hand roaming until she found a familiar patch of dark curls. Anything to forget. “I can’t sleep.”

“Rachel, I swear, if I have to get up for whatever reason, I promise you, you won’t sit for the rest of the day.”

Rachel paused to consider her mother’s words, her lips twitching into a mischievous smirk. Perhaps sleep was to blame, but honestly, did Shelby really think she considered that as a valid threat at this point? After all they’d been through? Maybe Shelby would give her a greater distraction than she’d hoped after all. Anything would help to remove all lingering thoughts of blonde hair and Cheerios uniforms.

She brought her lips close to Shelby’s ear, teasing and nibbling gently. “Do your worst.”

With a startling quickness, she was flipped over and thrown onto her back, their bodies colliding in a flurry of biting kisses and a tangle of swarming arms and legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody out there? Bear with me. More to come, but please comment in the meantime.


	2. Meaningless Dialogue and Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emo titles pretty much say it all thus far. Angst on Shelby's part and light bits of idiocy involving the other characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's meant to be a bit silly. Just go with it.

Chapter 2: Meaningless Dialogue and Shenanigans

She woke to her alarm blaring just a few hours later, rolling over and swatting blindly for the snooze button. Her mouth stretched into a yawn, hand reaching over to find solace in her mother’s warmth one last time before getting up. She frowned. Apart from a few rumpled pillows, Shelby’s side of the bed remained totally empty. She groaned and moved to sit up, rubbing at her eyes, stopping when the sound of her mother’s soft humming came over running water. A lazy smile played over her lips. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood to stretch before padding over. She rapped lightly on the door, pushing it open without waiting for a reply. Shelby stood propped up against the sink, robe open, catching Rachel’s toothy grin in the mirror as she strode in behind her.

“How’d you sleep?” she asked through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Thanks to you,” she said brightly, “very well. Much better than before.”

_And no more psycho dreams about Quinn, thank friggin’ goodness…._

She hissed as her ass met the cool, hard surface of the toilet seat, Shelby’s brow arching slightly at her through her reflection before she bent over to spit and rinse.

“Hope it was worth it,” she quipped.

“Always,” she insisted, the grin never leaving her face in spite of the pain.

She shook her head and shrugged out of her robe. “You are the only person I know who can still be this randy at the crack of dawn. It makes _no_ damn sense.”

“Oh, come on! I know you had fun.” She sure as hell had enough handprints on her ass to prove it.

“About as much fun as one can have at goddamn _three_ in the morning, Ray!”

Rachel yawned and scratched behind her ear. “Thought it was two?”

“Whatever,” Shelby groaned with a roll of her eyes, turning and starting the jets for a shower.

“You takin’ another one?”

Her mother swiveled on her with an incredulous glare. “Are you kidding me? After that, hell yes.”

Rachel flushed and stood to lean against her. “Mind if I join you?”

Shelby pulled back and eyed her warily, her tone dropping instantly from scolding to concerned. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know you can get a little… _feisty_ sometimes. But this is a bit much.”

She thought of how to answer before giving up. It was far too early to divulge all the dirty details of that dream, of being shared between her mother and Quinn, rendered helpless and unable to stop them. Her eyes fell to the floor.

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry. I know you’re tired.”

Shelby studied her for a minute, the steam rising and permeating the air around them. “Must’ve been a rough dream,” she said, bringing her in close and kissing the top of her head. “Alright, you can come in. But,” she warned, just before Rachel had the chance to rile herself up. “We have to actually shower, Ray. We still have school.”

“But it’s Friday,” Rachel whined.

Shelby’s eyes narrowed. “Wednesday, actually.”

“Does it even really matter?” she grinned, taking her mother’s hands and leading her into the billowing mist.

Shelby leered back, knowing full well she’d soon be convinced to forgo her earlier resolution not to fool around.

***

“Alright, Finn,” Mr. Shue sighed audibly, rubbing the back of his neck, his frustration visible even from Rachel’s spot overhead. “Let’s go over this one more time and then we’re done.”

“For the day?” Finn perked up.

“No, no. Just ‘til after school,” he replied, clapping him twice on the back, Finn’s shoulders slumping in defeat.

His back raised again, one hand running through his slick, sweaty hair. “Fuck!”

“Hey, now,” he warned, his voice softening as he placed a comforting hand on Finn’s shoulder, looking him square in the eye. “We got this. Just follow my lead.” He stepped sideways to demonstrate yet again. “Just focus on your hips this time.”

Rachel giggled as Finn’s clunky feet followed awkwardly along.

“No, no, no. Come on, just,” he came up behind him and tried again. “I’m gonna invade your personal space here for a minute. Now, just spread your feet a little wider for me,” he motioned, nudging Finn’s feet apart with his own for good measure. “Come on, just loosen up a bit—“

“God, just fucking _blow_ each other already…”

Rachel gasped and threw a hand over her mouth, barely managing to stifle her building laughter as none other than Quinn Fabray hunkered down in the seat next to her. Over time, it seemed Quinn’s derisive comments were growing nastier than usual, a far cry from the former reserved, Christian, type-A prep she once knew.

She leaned over and caught her arm. “If they see us…” she whispered harshly.

Quinn lifted her hands in mock surrender. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you spying on Finn.” She grinned as Rachel’s tiny elbow jabbed her in the ribs.

“Ugh, please,” she groaned. “Like I’d waste my goddamn time.”

“Then, what are you doing here?”

She shrugged evenly. Wanting nothing more than peace and quiet over lunch period, she’d retreated to the upper balcony of the auditorium where an unsuspecting Mr. Shue and Finn just so happened to be. The latter attempted to master the routine the rest of New Directions had nailed down over a week ago. More importantly, she’d gone there in hopes to purge her mind of her most recent dream of this place, reconnect herself with it in a far more wholesome light, even if it meant subjecting herself to watching Finn’s god awful dance moves.

“I don’t know,” she said, emulating a slow, somber, dream-like tone. “The closer we get to graduation, it just brings back memories.”

_Like that time I almost went down on my mother after a duet._

“It just feels like the place to be…”

She caught Quinn’s skeptic glance out of the corner of her eye, the two of them exploding in sharp ripples of laughter. They ducked low as the pair on stage turned to inspect the noise.

“Seriously, though,” Quinn said, peeking over the rails and coming back up as they resumed the dance. “What the fuck kind of rehearsal is this?”

Rachel rose up along with her. “Finn needed a little extra help. Again.”

“So, he needs more private sessions instead of just practicing with the rest of us? As usual?”

“Mr. Shue is optimistic,” she said with a light smile. “Hopefully, it’ll help this time.”

“We’ve had booty camp for, what, half a year now? If he can’t get this shit down by now, we’re fucked for Nationals.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. He was struggling before Sectionals and we pulled through just fine.”

“Haha, nope! Sectionals, we made it by the skin of our fucking teeth. Regionals, Corcoran bent us over backwards and fucked us.”

Rachel cringed inwardly. That was definitely not an image she needed in her head at the moment. Especially, not after last night.

“You know,” Quinn continued, “kinda like what Mr. Shue’s doing to Finn right now.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, clasping a hand to her forehead. “Oh, my god. Shut up.”

“No lube. No foreplay—“

Rachel moved to catch her arm again. “You know they can probably hear us up here, right?”

“Doubt it. Knowing Finn, he’d probably squeal the whole time. He wouldn’t notice a thing.” She paused and met Rachel’s unamused glare. “Oh, come on! I’m just saying what we’re all thinking. Who the fuck else would schedule this many _private_ rehearsals every week?” She gestured at them with open hands. “Or get _that_ fucking close?!”

Rachel followed her gaze, noting, indeed, just how physically demonstrative Mr. Shue was with Finn, the poor boy’s feet still clopping miserably out of step. Quickly, she caught on to how Finn, albeit still flustered at the routine, appeared to be fairly receptive to such an intrusive form of instruction. If she didn’t know any better, she could’ve sworn she noticed him backing into Mr. Shue’s strange advances. She shook her head in effort to clear it, the aftereffects of her wet dream still very real.

“They’ve been going at it since, what, sophomore year?”

A wistful smile tugged at Rachel’s lips, visions of Shelby filling her mind.

_Eh, they’re not alone…._

“Jesus, you’d think they’d be a little more discreet by now,” Quinn scoffed.

Down below, one misplaced step sent Finn flying off into a blind rage.

“Goddamn it!” He stormed off and disappeared into the wings, Mr. Shue madly chasing after him. A random chair came soaring out and crashing center stage, a loud clatter and Finn’s own hammering voice following closely behind.

“We should go,” Rachel said, gathering up her books. “Bell’s about to ring anyway.”

Quinn stood to join her. “Whatever. Let’s hope for Finn’s sake, he’s not a virgin.”

Rachel grimaced before pushing open the door. “No comment.”

“We still practicing later on today? Your place?”

“Yep,” Rachel piped up, bouncing over to her locker, Quinn leaning on the one adjacent to it. “You ready?”

“I guess,” she shrugged, idly watching her exchange a few books. “What’s the assignment again?”

“Musicals. Our choice.”

“Does it matter what song?”

“Nope.”

“You got this one? I picked last time.”

“Sure.”

“God, you’d think closer to graduation he’d try to give us something more on point, more inspirational.”

“Maybe he’s just tired.”

“After humping Finn all day, yeah I can imagine.”

She slammed her locker shut before strutting off. “Bye, Quinn.”

***

“Can I go now?”

Shelby glanced up from her notes to glare back at a scowling Santana Lopez slouching in the first seat across from her.

“Sit up straight, Santana,” she lectured before returning to her work.

A little after lunch, Will approached her with news that a thick coat of baby oil had been slathered all over the choir room floor, his voice levying more than enough blame she could reasonably tolerate. She didn’t want to believe one of her own girls had been the culprit. Hell, she would’ve chalked it all up to his bitterness over New Directions’ loss at Regionals. Anything to try and shoot down the competition. That is, until she spotted Santana dumping a backpack full of empty bottles out by the dumpster.

She groaned, slumping further into her seat. “Can I please go now?”

“I don’t know.” She smirked without looking up. “Try asking again.”

“Oh, my god. Can I please fucking go now? I’m missing practice! Coach is gonna fucking kill me!”

“Because adding profanity to your request will totally help your case, right?”

“Funny. I don’t remember you getting pissed off at Vocal Adrenaline for TP-ing the room a couple of years ago.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, finally dropping her pen and reclining back to fully meet her gaze. “So, because I had a couple of terrible people in my class years ago, that totally means I should let you act like them, right?”

“Oh, come the _fuck_ on! People throw slushies and shit here all the time and no one says a goddamn thing! Not even you!”

“Because everyone else _sucks_ at being a person, that means you get to suck too, am I right?”

“It’s fucking before Nationals—“

“Which is the _only_ reason I haven’t reported you to Figgins,” she reminded her quickly.

Her quick retort fell short as she pondered her teacher’s words, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. “Whatever. It’s just a stupid prank. Everybody has one before graduation.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she chuckled mirthlessly, holding up her hand in protest. “Just a harmless, little prank? Is that what we’re calling it? Honey, I don’t know what kind of stupidity you got into with the Cheerios, and I really don’t care. You don’t bring that garbage over here, understand? I’m pretty sure we’ve had this conversation before. _Months_ ago, if I’m not mistaken.”

Santana said nothing, face mottled red, glaring daggers into her until Shelby rivaled her with an equally dangerous look. She caved in and looked pointedly away.

“This is fucked,” she grumbled at the floor.

“No. What’s _fucked_ is pouring baby oil all over the competitions’ floor. What’s _fucked_ is nearly injuring your classmates before graduation. What’s _fucked_ is that you have the nerve to come in here and act like you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“You _made_ me come in here! You’re the one who gave me fucking detention!”

“Which is the least harmful thing that could happen to you at this point,” Shelby countered, pushing back and rising from her desk, shocked and slightly amused at how brazen the girl could be in times of wrongdoing. “You have five weeks before graduation. You wanna spend that time acting like a moron, then by all means, I will treat you like one. And believe me, I could do a lot worse. I could hand you over to Figgins and have you suspended. I could kick you out of the Troubletones. No Nationals, no letter of recommendation. Nothing.”

With each and every word, she edged closer and closer to her until she came face to face with the unruly cheerleader, gripping the sides of her desk and towering over her. If she didn’t know any better, she could’ve sworn she saw Santana shrink deeper into her seat, even heard her give a subdued gulp. She nearly lost her composure and smiled.

“You think Coach Sylvester can run your ass raw at practice, believe me, I can do better. I’m sure my students from Carmel could attest to that as well. This is only the beginning of your punishment. Do not make it worse.”

“Wait, what?! You’re already keeping me from practice! What else are you gonna fucking—“

Suddenly, the door burst open behind them, Brittany ghosting into the room in a long, flowing black cloak and top hat, brandishing a straight, black cane.

“I’ve come to whisk you away,” she proclaimed, victoriously smacking the cane against the ground.

“Brit, I told you to wait in the car!”

Shelby raised a hand to her forehead, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Brittany, what are you doing?”

“Santana didn’t do it,” she protested. “Her alter-ego Snixx was summoned by the gargoyles and corrupted her soul. She was forced to do it against her will.”

“Brit, this is a _really_ bad time to bring Snixx into this…”

“I don’t need to teach here anymore,” Shelby sighed, palm never leaving her face.

“You should totally let her go,” the tall, elvish blonde persisted.

“Brittany,” Shelby began calmly, hand falling away to fold over the girl’s shoulder. “You can’t be here right now.”

“Why not?”

“When Santana is in trouble, you can’t be here. It’s incredibly distracting.”

“Yeah, but why?”

“Well,” she explained slowly in a distant, lofty tone. “It’s been mandated in the fine print of the charter Mr. Shue and I drafted after the War of 1812. Whence Santana enters the realm of eminent stupidity, thou art _banished_.” She ignored the dubious looks Santana sent over her shoulder, hoping to Streisand this would suffice in getting this crazy kid out of her classroom.

“Wait, you were in the War of 1812?”

Shelby blinked, at a loss for words. “Brittany—“

“Wait, so does this confirm my theory that you’re a vampire?”

She extended her arm towards the door. “Out.”

“C’mon, think about it. You’re pale, scary and you’ve been around for hundreds of years.”

“I’m getting a headache,” she said, taking her firmly by the shoulders and leading her out. She paused midway and turned back. “You.” Santana’s head snapped in her direction. “Go grab some towels from the locker room. You’re cleaning that crap up today. Effective immediately.”

“That’ll take forever,” she complained. “I’m not a fucking janitor!”

“Not my problem,” Shelby called on her way out.

***

Once she’d gotten Santana situated cleaning up the choir room, Shelby set off on one last trip to the teacher’s lounge. She hesitated in the doorway, Will standing by the coffeemaker with his back turned. She sighed. The last thing she needed was any last minute awkwardness or conflict between them before Nationals. The kids’ sporadic bouts of idiocy were more than enough to handle before then.

She blew out a short puff of breath before striding in.

_Oh, well. Here goes nothin’!_

“You’re becoming an addict,” she said casually, sitting down.

He turned halfway and offered a smile, a fresh mug ready in his hand. “After that little surprise this afternoon, I’m gonna need it.”

She winced. “I’m sorry. I’ve got her cleaning it up now. Was anybody hurt?”

He shook his head and grinned. “Nah, everyone was fine. We didn’t get very much work done today, but they had lots of fun.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I was gone for ten minutes and the place was a mess. Like, worse than before. Puck and Finn thought it’d be funny to bowl Sam into the drums. Rachel and Quinn were figure skating all over the room. Footprints were everywhere. Mike and Tina just left. I don’t know where they went, but yeah. Blaine fell asleep. I think the only ones who were as pissed as I was were Kurt and Artie.”

“Jesus,” she chuckled, images of her daughter slipping and sliding all over the room playing through her mind. “End of the year hijinks, I guess.”

“You’d think by now they’d be a lot smarter, but—“

“Nope! Not at all. You should’ve seen Brittany trying to defend her earlier.”

“Oh? Was it the gargoyles or centaurs this time?”

Shelby’s brow quirked in disbelief. “Does she even know what a centaur is?”

“I don’t fuckin’ know,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands. They shared one last laugh before he cleared his throat. “So,” he said carefully, “you still gonna let Santana compete?”

She arched her brow, shooting him a look that soon made him regret asking in the first place. She should’ve known full well where this was going, but she’d hoped to avoid it anyway.

“Yeah, I guessed as much,” he muttered with a nervous scratch of his chin.

“Look, I don’t condone any stupidity my kids get into. But I’m not an idiot. Santana’s one of our best.”

“Can’t say I blame you, I guess,” he added begrudgingly, sliding his finger along the rim of his mug.

“She’s being held accountable,” she assured him firmly. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“No, no. It’s all good.” He raised a hand calmly. “Honestly, I think I’ve got a bigger problem on my hands right now.”

“Like what?”

He hesitated. “I’ve, uh, still gotta practice with Finn later today.”

“Oh, yeah? How’s that going?”

“It’s, uh… it’s a mess. I’ve been trying to give him a little one-on-one. See if that’ll help…”

She did her best not to laugh, not even bothering to go into a lengthy spiel over him having so many private, unsupervised meetings with a student. “Sounds… promising.”

He swiped a hand over his mouth and sighed. “I’m doing my best. He almost destroyed the auditorium earlier.”

“I didn’t think his feet were that heavy,” she said, unable to contain her laughter this time.

“Oh, he can dance. Believe me. He just gets a bit clumsy sometimes, forgets where he is. He seemed to be doing just fine last year. I don’t know what the deal is now. The closer we get to graduation, the more distracted he gets.”

“I think that’s everyone, lately. It’s just one of those things.”

“Hmm, maybe. You and Rachel ready for New York?”

“I think she’s ready more than I am,” she laughed.

“Find another job already?”

“Yep.”

“Well, that was fast.”

“With my credentials from here and Carmel, it was easy enough.” She smiled softly. “It’s weird. I never thought I’d say it, but I’m actually gonna miss this place.”

“I’m sure you will. I think it’s safe to assume that everything worked out better than you expected?”

“Absolutely,” she said fondly. “I’m glad to have her back.”

“Things gotten any better with her dads?”

Her smile faded. “A little, yeah. Better than before, I guess.”

Hiram and Leroy were slightly more tolerant of her reconnection with Rachel than they’d originally been. Then again, she wasn’t sure they had much of a choice. They were hardly around to object anyway. She tried to keep things as civil as possible between them, though their ongoing work-related distance from Rachel made it difficult for her at times. She’d barely succeeded in convincing them to organize more time with their daughter after graduation. Just thinking about it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Yeah, I’ve never really asked you about that before.”

“Believe me, you don’t want to.”

“That bad, huh?” Will grinned into his mug before taking another sip.

“A bit of an understatement, but yeah.”

“So, what are you gonna do for graduation?”

“I don’t know yet,” she murmured, angry tears forming, Will reaching over to place a comforting hand on her back. She blinked them away, switching gears before she could get too emotional. “I almost forgot. Congrats on the engagement!”

His eyes narrowed. She could’ve laughed, knowing damn well he had his own personal issues to work out before the end of the year. Issues he obviously didn’t want to get into any more than she’d wanted to divulge her own. “Smooth transition, Corcoran,” he remarked wryly, withdrawing his hand. “Well played.”

“I can do better, Will,” she said evenly, her lips curving into a sly smirk. “Just wait until Nationals.” And she meant every word. She’d bested him once, and she’d gladly do it again.

“Sure.” He rose and moved to the sink, taking one last sip before dumping the rest down the drain. “Thanks anyway. I’m glad everything’s working out well. Glad we could bring out the best in each other this year.”

“You sure about that?” Shelby grinned. “Slushies and baby oil aside?”

“Even then,” he scoffed. “This is probably the friendliest competition we’ve had in years.”

“I’m glad we could keep it civil… for the most part.”

“We’ve still got some way to go. Cross your fingers.” He nudged her shoulder before starting off. “I’m gonna go find Finn. Wish me luck.”

“Have fun, Will,” she called after him.

***

“This is by far the strangest day I’ve had up here. And that’s saying something for this place!”

Rachel stopped to ponder the last couple of years at McKinley, slushies, storm out sessions, and shenanigans galore. The slippery incident after lunch didn’t even come close to half the pranks she’d experienced since joining New Directions. “Not sure I can say the same, but okay. I’ll take your word for it.”

“We going straight to your place or what?”

She shook her head. “Still gotta find sheet music. It’ll just be a quick stop on the way.”

“You decided on anything yet?”

“I thought ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ might be good. We can change it if you want, though.”

“Did you just all of a sudden have some hard-on for Marilyn Monroe?”

She scoffed, rummaging through her purse for her keys once they’d reached her car. “No. It just sort of came to me at the last minute.” She stowed her backpack in the backseat before turning back to Quinn. “You wanna just trail me or ride with me?” She stole a quick glance around the parking lot. “Where’d you park anyway?”

“Mom needed the car today, so I just took the bus.”

“ _You_ rode the bus?” Rachel remarked with feigned shock. “Quinn Fabray actually ventured amongst the commoners?!”

“Fuck you,” Quinn groaned, bumping her shoulder on the way to the passenger side. “It’s funny. I never really imagined you driving yourself up here.”

“Why not?” Rachel laughed, buckling herself in.

“I don’t know. I guess I always thought Corcoran would drive you up here.”

“Sometimes. We started having different rehearsal times, so she figured I could use my own car.”

She purposefully neglected to mention how Shelby had mainly bought it on the off chance Rachel be tempted to grope her on the way to and from campus as she had countless times before.

“Wait, Corcoran got you this?”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Nothing,” she said with a light shrug. “Just surprised it’s not a Range Rover.”

“Overrated,” she chuckled.

“Does she miss Vocal Adrenaline at all?”

“The group, yes. Driving three hours to Akron for work, not so much.”

“Fair enough,” she agreed, staring absentmindedly out the window as Rachel cranked the engine.

As they ebbed their way out of the student section of the lot, she spotted a familiar figure in the choir room window. She let out a little squeal of surprise, Rachel instantly pumping the brake.

“What?” She glanced around frantically.

Quinn pointed straight ahead, a huge grin stretched across her face, Rachel following her gaze. “I should’ve known. There was no way in hell Corcoran would’ve let her get away with it that easily.”

Rachel peered into the distance, suddenly remembering the strong scent of baby oil lingering on the scuff of her shoes. There, hunched over on hands and knees, knelt Santana, scrubbing furiously away at the floor, a heap of dirty gym towels piled behind her.

Quinn reached over to honk the horn, Rachel shoving her away with a reproachful jab to the ribs. “Are you trying to get my car keyed?!”

Santana looked up almost immediately to inspect the noise, catching their gaze easily enough. Rachel gave a half smile with an awkward wave. Quinn pushed out her bottom lip, tracing an imaginary tear down her cheek. Santana threw her a sour look and raised her middle finger, Quinn returning the favor with both hands and howling as Rachel made a hard right turn and veered out of the campus parking lot.

She made quick work of finding the score for their duet before heading straight home, making a mental note to text her mother a reminder that Quinn was coming over.

“We on our own?” Quinn asked as they pulled into the garage.

“For a little while, yeah” she answered. “Mommy doesn’t usually finish rehearsal until about six.”

Quinn gave a twisted smirk in her direction. “Mommy?”

Rachel flashed her a hard stare before getting out. “Fuck off.”

She flipped on the kitchen light as they made their way in, disappearing upstairs to freshen up while leaving Quinn alone in the living room. She returned to find the blonde lingering by an array of framed photos on the top shelf by the television.

“You ready to get started?”

Quinn didn’t seem to hear, much too caught up in one photo in particular. She lifted one black framed shot of Shelby.

“Damn,” she murmured to herself, eyebrows shooting into her hair. “ _That’s_ Corcoran?”

Rachel peered over her shoulder, smiling faintly at the picture in question. It was a close up shot of Shelby taken a little after curtain call when she’d first been cast in _West Side Story_. From the looks of it, it had been taken a little over a decade ago, though Shelby never specified when exactly. For whatever reason, Shelby had opted to take the picture leaning back against the props table, one leg hiked up behind her, her rouged lips curled into a coy smile Rachel would later come to inherit in some of her own pictures. Shelby later recanted it was one of her happiest memories on stage before coaching.

“Yeah, that’s her. Way back when…”

She looked sideways, studying Quinn’s expression as she all but ogled her mother’s picture. Granted, it was indeed a remarkable photo, a flattering glimpse into Shelby’s humbler days. She’d often found herself stopping to glance at it every once in a while. Still, there was a twinkle of something she noticed in Quinn’s eyes as she gazed on, a look all too familiar to her. It was enough to make her stomach turn.

“Wow,” Quinn carried on. “She’s uh… damn!”

Rachel came to stand in front of her, her protective streak coming to light. “She’s what?”

Quinn’s eyes never left the photo. “Nothing. It’s just you look a lot alike. That’s all.” She frowned as Rachel plucked it right out of her hands, planting it face down on the shelf.

“That wasn’t what you were about to say,” she said, regarding her suspiciously.

Quinn stood, dumbfounded. “What? I can’t compliment your mom?”

“That depends,” Rachel replied with an icy tone, one sculpted brow raised in a way oddly reminiscent of Shelby’s in Quinn’s eyes. “What were you going to say?”

Quinn shifted uneasily, a bug under a microscope. “I don’t know. I was just gonna say that she—“

She paused to see Rachel’s eyes narrow with every word. She tried again. “I mean she—“

She was cut off again by the sound of Rachel’s nails drumming expectantly against the wood of the shelf.

She sighed impatiently. “Do you actually wanna know what I was gonna say or are you just trying to be obnoxious?”

She set her lips into a thin, grim line before answering. “I promise you, whatever it was, positive or negative, it would not have ended well for you.”

“Okay,” she scoffed, turning away. “What the hell’s your problem?”

She softened, offering an apologetic smile. She hadn’t meant to be so testy, but the recurring visions of her dream still left her nerves on the fritz. Still, it wasn’t Quinn’s fault she was left a horny, confused mess. And her mother had sure as hell warned her about projecting more than once before. Just thinking about it brought to mind the harsh discipline she’d been subjected to in her nightmare. She pushed her fingers through her hair and exhaled sharply.

_Could be a long fucking day…._

“I’m sorry,” she said, shuffling past her to the piano. “Here, why don’t we just—“

“Warm up first?”

She nodded frantically. “Sounds good.” Anything to take her mind off of things.

For now.

***

Troubletones rehearsal ended on a rather dismal note that afternoon. Even Sugar, for all her bright-eyed, bushy-tailed enthusiasm, had grown stiff halfway through the routine. Shelby didn’t understand what the problem was. After all, they’d gone over the set list nearly a hundred times for the past several weeks to an exhaustive degree, showing nothing but growth along the way.

For what it was worth, the first half hadn’t blown over that badly, though they definitely could’ve done better. The last three numbers, however, were reduced to a clunky, watered down mess. Mercedes, as per usual, tried to overcompensate her lack of vitality through belting it out at the most inappropriate times, complaining every time Shelby pushed her to sharpen her moves. Brittany appeared to be more distracted than usual, often times just stopping altogether in the middle of a song to simply stare off into space. Shelby tried everything, short of doing cartwheels in front of her, to get her moving again. Even the other Cheerios, who were typically on point at all times, seemed to slouch their way throughout those last few numbers. Santana’s sulking from her earlier punishment did little to help. As if their dancing wasn’t insipid enough, they all but butchered the notes to the final piece.

An hour and a half in, Shelby was fuming. If it had been Vocal Adrenaline, she would’ve kept them at it for another solid three hours until their feet bled. This time, however, she got up in the middle of the finale, threw her clipboard over her shoulder and stalked off without saying a word. Upon exiting through the backdoor, she could’ve sworn she overheard someone (Santana, most likely) remark, “Well, now you know where Berry gets it from….”

She switched off the stage lights, smiling as Sugar’s screams carried and echoed around them, the rest of the girls barking over each other in the dark and bickering over whose fault it all was.

She drove around for a bit, debating on where to go and cool off before eventually heading home. She didn’t want Rachel to see her this flustered. It would’ve killed the mood before their “nightly ritual” so to speak. She honestly wasn’t sure what to call it anymore. They’d been going at it nearly every night for the past two years with very few exceptions. Shelby almost had a hard time believing it. Regardless of how tired they were, be it from school, rehearsal, or the session the night before, one thing always undoubtedly led to another. It never failed. She had to wonder whether they would be able to continue their ongoing trend once they moved to New York.

Shelby could count on one hand the few times they’d sacrificed intimacy out of blackout fatigue; once after Sectionals and twice before and after Regionals. Once their hectic schedules were over, and at Rachel’s insistence, of course, they’d more than made up for it each time. Shelby couldn’t bring herself to complain, for the most part. With a little minx like Rachel, it was nearly impossible to resist. It wasn’t until Rachel had grown feistier, and sometimes sneakier, that she started to object to her daughter’s unwavering appetite. Their brief sessions after the girl’s nightmare and later on in the shower were only two out of many occasions as of late.

She sighed at the memory, a slow yawn building up just thinking about it. She’d insisted more than once how she desperately needed to sleep if they were to keep at it every day. Rachel barely seemed to notice, seemingly running on an endless supply of energy. At one point, Shelby had wrongly believed adding a few ounces of pain would hopefully drive her point home and potentially wear Rachel out, squelch her libido just enough to afford her some rest. A few bites and swats here and there; nothing too major.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

If anything, her endeavor had made Rachel twice as ravenous as before and, much to Shelby’s chagrin, led her to engage in more _subversive_ techniques to garner her mother’s attention. Once midwinter, she’d woken up to find her little girl lurking beneath the sheets, tongue lashing feverishly between Shelby’s legs as she slept. After she’d gotten over the initial shock and recovered post-coitus, she made Rachel pay for it, dearly. She’d, of course, begged and cried for a while before drifting off again, pacified with one of Shelby’s nipples in her mouth, a newly-formed habit she never objected to as long as Rachel ultimately went back to sleep.

She’d thought perhaps, maybe then, Rachel might learn to settle down until the girl attempted to wake her in a similar fashion yet again. Once caught, she’d embraced her impending punishment with feigned distress, even going so far as to subtly suggest Shelby begin using instruments on her. Naturally, Shelby was horrified, temporarily stalling any further painful lessons after that and instead settling on just fucking her until she went back to sleep. It barely made a difference anymore. Even in the absence of pain, Rachel was insatiable.

In her reverie, she zoomed right past the Lima Bean. She swore, watching it fade behind her in the rearview mirror before giving up. It would’ve been too light-hearted of an atmosphere anyway. In no way did it match how she was feeling. She spotted the bowling alley and karaoke bar just a few clicks up ahead.

_Eh, fuck that. Too campy._

Tucked right behind it was a plain local tavern. She took the next right and parked behind the building. She wandered in and found a seat at the far corner of the bar, ordering a tall glass of beer and wordlessly chugging it straight down. Ignoring the strange looks she received from the bartender, she stared blankly into the swirling oak patterns embedded in the counter, slowly twirling the glass in her hands. Just then, her phone buzzed to life in her purse.

_Hey, Q’s coming over to practice. You mind if she just hangs out here for a bit afterwards? I’ll drive her home at about 9._

She bristled, mentally slapping herself for even having such an undeserved reaction in the first place. She was well aware Rachel and Quinn had grown closer over the course of the year. It shouldn’t have come as a total surprise to her that Rachel would eventually invite her over at some point. She pulled herself together before answering back.

_No problem, sweetie. Probably won’t be back in time for dinner. Let me know if you guys want me to order in for you._

Rachel messaged back with a quick thank you before listing off what they wanted from a local cafe, Shelby placing the order over the phone before ordering another drink for herself. She was definitely going to be there a lot longer than she’d anticipated. Part of her felt a bit silly. She could’ve easily gone back home if she really wanted to, fixed the girls something to eat while saying as little as possible to Quinn. She could’ve even retreated upstairs to work while they rehearsed at the piano. It wouldn’t have been hard… right? She honestly wasn’t even sure at this point, much too frazzled to sort through her own feelings.

Granted, she had very well expected them to get together and rehearse for a few weeks now. After all, Will had mentioned in passing that he had been planning on assigning the kids another duet a little after Spring Break. What she hadn’t counted on, however, was the girls coming over to _her_ house to prepare for it. For previous assignments, they’d stayed primarily on school grounds. She had no earthly idea what made Rachel all of a sudden decide to have Quinn over this time. In fact, for a long time, she’d been totally opposed to having her or anybody else over at Shelby’s since the advent of their affair. They’d worked so hard to maintain their distance and lay low at school. There was no way in hell she wanted to risk anyone, much less her best friend, catching onto their dynamics at home.

She paused to consider Rachel’s prior reasoning and bit her lip. On second thought, perhaps it wouldn’t have been wise to go home while Quinn was there after all. She gave a light snort and sipped her beer. She didn’t understand why she was getting so worked up over it anyway. It was just another fucking rehearsal. Wasn’t it?

_Oh, for fuck’s sake…._

Who the hell was she kidding? She knew goddamn well what was happening. All the obvious signs were there. Whatever animosity Quinn may have harbored for her daughter years ago had clearly blossomed into something more. At least that’s what it looked like from her angle, anyway. Quinn had certainly taken a greater interest in her as of late. Rachel had even explicitly said so herself months before. Even then, Shelby had embraced it and encouraged it, knowing full well her daughter didn’t exactly have the best track record in making friends, let alone keeping them. This was especially true when it came to other girls. For her to be on such friendly terms with Quinn for this long came as a total relief and surprise all at once. It was almost bittersweet.

Still, underneath it all, there was undoubtedly a subtle hint of attraction to be explored. She smirked knowingly to herself. She had, more than once, entertained the thought of the girls engaging in a relationship. After all, she’d caught a few glimpses of them together here and there, both on and off campus. It was amusing to her how little they seemed to notice.

The signs were all there. The lingering looks in the choir room, even if they weren’t in the midst of a duet; how Rachel would link arms with her in the hallway; playful shoulder bumps she caught in the auditorium from time to time; parting hugs that lasted a tad too long to be considered in the realm of platonic friendships.

She downed the rest of her beer before switching to whiskey. The bar hand nearly protested until she gave him a look that challenged him to say something else. He uttered a subdued ‘yes, ma’am’ and scurried away.

Maybe she was just being paranoid. Given how she felt after such a rough rehearsal combined with the number of drinks she’d had thus far, she wouldn’t have put it past herself. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder. She’d guessed for a long time that Rachel liked girls, long before the Elektra complex ensued. Rachel later came to admit being bisexual, Shelby coming to the mildly unpleasant realization that boys could still definitely come into the picture should Rachel want to end their relationship in the near future. The thought of Puck, Finn or some hunkering, jackass frat boy coming along and corrupting her little girl made her feel slightly less guilty about fucking her.

She considered her skewed logic for a brief moment before emitting a dark chuckle, louder than she meant to, a slight hiccup escaping her throat. God, she was fucking _terrible!_

Quinn, on the other hand, had been a little bit harder to peg, at first. Up until she and Rachel had become friends, she’d never really paid much attention. Over time, though, judging from her interactions with Rachel, and to a lesser extent Santana, she’d definitely picked up on some slight, albeit closeted tendencies. Granted, she hid it well under that aloof, Catholic, ice-queen façade. None of the glee kids ever would’ve noticed and heaven knows, Will was much too oblivious. Even Rachel, for all the time she spent with her, never seemed to guess. Shelby knew better. Her experience with women far outweighed her daughter’s.

She thought back ruefully to some snide comment Sue had made shortly after Santana came out.

_Well, shit. Is everyone at this school gay now?_

She nearly coughed up her drink.

She stopped to consider the seriousness of the situation, any further implications it could’ve potentially led to. What did this mean for the two of them now? In spite of Rachel’s protests, she knew she’d have to end it sooner or later. It was one thing to try and have a semblance of normalcy in their relationship at home, but what about New York? She’d already accepted another job months ago, rented another apartment for them before then. They’d be set to move in by the end of the summer. She couldn’t very well stay behind in Lima. Rachel would most definitely want the distance then, partly to punish her for ending it and partly to spend more time with Quinn or whomever the hell else.

She choked back the bitter tears brewing in her eyes.

And what of the eventual separation? Rachel would, no doubt, initially object to it as she always did. There was no way she’d let Shelby go without a fight. And when Shelby remained firm and told her no, once Rachel finally realized she wouldn’t get her way this time, then what? Would she pack up and leave before graduation? Would she even allow her mother to see her graduate at all? Would she even bother keeping in contact with her after that?

It took everything within her not to beat her fist against the counter.

As much as she’d wanted to end all this months, even years, before, she never would’ve forgiven herself for breaking Rachel’s heart. Not when she’d just gotten her baby back only a few short years ago. They should’ve stopped sooner. Much sooner. Nipped it in the bud early on when they still had the chance to develop a somewhat normal mother-daughter relationship. Sure, it would’ve been far from conventional, but even so, given enough time, that first night would have hopefully dwindled into a distant, vague memory. Now what the hell was she going to do?

_You let her go. Be the mother you’re supposed to be… the one you should’ve been in the first place._

If Rachel would still let her.

She wiped furiously at hot tears gushing down her cheeks. “Get over yourself, for fuck’s sake.”

God, was she sorry for Rachel or just herself? Sorry that, because of her own pathetic actions, she could potentially lose her baby for good? Sorry that, once again, because of her, things would never be the same? Did she really expect things to stay this way forever?

_Fucking cunt. What’s wrong with you?!_

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly, ready to claw her own eyes out. She’d admitted to Rachel once before that she didn’t want to stop and to this day, she meant it. She bit her tongue in silent admonition. It was wrong to even admit to such a thing in the first place. What was the point anyway? Her little girl would eventually grow out of all this and leave, as she rightfully should. There was no use in holding onto this sick, little fantasy any longer. It was over. Done. Long before she even realized. She’d expected this to happen all along, but never this soon.

_And then, Barbra wept…. You fucking idiot._

“Get it together, Corcoran. Jesus fuck’s sake Christ,” she seethed, one hand fiercely gripping the underside of the counter, the other shielding her eyes. The bartender turned respectfully away.

_It’s over now. Just accept it. If anything goes wrong, you have no one but yourself to blame. If she doesn’t want to see you… or talk to you again, it’ll be your own damn fault._

Her heart lurched, sharp pangs of guilt clutching her chest.

Suppose Rachel did ultimately choose to leave, whether it be out of heartbreak or finding someone else? What would she do with herself? She’d already missed out on so much of her little girl’s life and had so little time to make up for it. And how had she made up for that lost time? Shameless fucking and occasional bouts of sadism. And there was no denying she’d enjoyed it every bit as much as Rachel did if not more. But there was more, so much more.

Long, honest conversations at dinner; late night baking over the weekend, watching Rachel’s legs swing back and forth over the kitchen counter, often times dressed in nothing but one of Shelby’s old nightshirts; curling up on the couch together as _Yentl_ or _Funny Girl_ played, the blush she caught on Rachel’s cheek when she kissed her temple; singing at the piano, Rachel sitting in her lap as she played; waking up to Rachel snuggling into her after a bad dream; listening to her prattle on about her future, confide in her all her hopes, dreams, insecurities, fears.

She bowed her head, swept her hair out of her eyes, praying no one was watching her in her shame.

Heaven knows, she’d miss those small, gentle hands rubbing her shoulders after a long day, playing in her hair, palming her bare back; that shapely, hungry mouth whether it was smiling sweetly at her, whispering low into her ear, or colliding with her own.

She tipped her glass all the way back, wanting nothing more than to drown herself in it somehow.

Above all, she’d miss everything that was unabashedly Rachel. Her melodic voice, her fierce temper, her wild ambition, her bouncy, unending enthusiasm.

“Stop it,” she whispered doggedly to herself. “Fucking selfish.”

Everything would be fine. It had to be. She swore she would never leave her daughter again and she meant it. To hell with whatever their old relationship even was. She was still her mother, always would be at the end of the day. She didn’t need to fuck her to show how much she loved her. In time, Rachel would move on and eventually, so would she. This was only the first step.

Her little Ray would finally have the chance to stop this and move onto something healthier for a change. And she would still be there, forever supporting her on the sidelines where she belonged. They would find a way to put it all behind them and everything would be fine.

“It’ll be okay,” she repeated firmly. “She’ll be great. And _you_ will be just fine.”

Everything would be fine. It had to be. Even if she couldn’t stop crying.

She paid the tab, leaving a hefty tip before taking a few wobbly steps to wander off and fix her makeup in the bathroom. She rinsed her mouth, remembering she still had to go home and face Rachel after this, pausing to stare long and hard into her reflection. Speckles of red still shone clearly around her glassy green orbs. She blinked a couple of times to clear them and failed. She sighed wearily, giving herself a few more seconds to compose herself before walking out. She fumbled through her purse for her keys when a familiar voice pricked her ears.

“In all my years…”

She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Never have I seen such a pretty, little mess.”

Her stomach fell, jaw dropping slightly at every word. There was no mistaking that helium-induced voice anywhere. No. It couldn’t be.

She turned slowly, paling at the revelation. “Oh, my fuckin’ god.” She could’ve died then and there. “ _April?!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still have no idea if really anyone's out there, but hey. Comment anyway.


	3. Shameless F*cking and Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faberry and... Shapril? Jesus, just go with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just have fun with it.

Chapter 3: Shameless Fucking and Shenanigans

“Remind me why we’re watching this again?” Quinn asked, shoveling another spoonful of fried rice into her mouth.

Rachel offered a light shrug, fiddling absentmindedly with her chopsticks. “Research,” she supplied. “Plus, you said you wanted a break.”

After an hour of running through the piece countless times, they sat perched on opposite ends of the couch, Rachel’s legs tucked modestly underneath her while Quinn seemed oddly comfortable enough stretching all the way across, her toes grazing Rachel’s knees. They ate from paper plates, Rachel purposefully avoiding using her mother’s fine dishes and silverware and wanting to keep things as casual as possible between them. A box of veggie fried rice sat propped open on the coffee table with a handful of crumpled napkins and fortune cookies strewn around it, Shelby’s treasured copy of _Gentlemen Prefer Blondes_ playing on the flat screen overhead. Ordinarily, Rachel would’ve objected to stopping rehearsal so early. After all, she had long since become accustomed to holding out for hours on end before even considering a break. What with Quinn complaining she hadn’t eaten since breakfast and her own stomach rumbling in protest, she couldn’t resist caving in. Plus, she couldn’t deny the fact she’d always wanted to share at least one movie night in with Quinn before they took off after graduation.

“Which one do you see yourself as?” Quinn said.

“Ha! Neither.”

“Seriously?”

She munched lightly and swallowed before gesturing between Monroe and Russel on screen. “Too ditzy, too prickly.”

“And here I thought you could play anyone.” 

“I’m sure I could,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Doesn’t mean I want to.”

“Surprise, surprise…”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just you usually pick something you can see yourself in.”

“No, not always. I just like the song.” She flicked her eyes away from the screen to look at her. “We can still change it if you want. There’s still time.”

“No, no. It’s fine. Just curious.”

She turned her attention back to her food before something else came to her. “When should I take you home? I almost forgot.”

“Any time before midnight is fine,” she responded with a flippant shake of her head.

“Really?” Rachel balked, her brows knitted in shock. Even Shelby never allowed her to stay out so late. It was one of the few things she remained super strict about and one of the first things they’d ever really argued over, much to Rachel’s detriment. She wouldn’t forget about that first session over her mother’s lap anytime soon. For Quinn, of all people, to receive a later time seemed more than generous, especially given her shady past.

“The hard-ass bullshit was all my dad. Mom trusts me. She knows I’m here for school, anyway.”

“Still…”

“What time’s your mom gettin’ back, anyway?”

She felt her lips quiver into a grimace, not particularly keen on the focus being shifted to Shelby all of a sudden. “I don’t know. She didn’t say.”

“Does she want me gone by a certain time or what?”

“Probably before eleven, if I had to guess.”

She unfolded her legs and stood to stretch, snagging both of their empty plates and leftover trash before striding off to the kitchen, Quinn rising to trail after her with the remaining rice in tow.

“Where is she, anyway?” She glimpsed her phone for the time. “Rehearsal should’ve ended for them hours ago.”

“I don’t know,” she repeated, dumping the trash and sealing away the leftovers in a Tupperware bowl.

“You didn’t ask?”

“You know,” Rachel pivoted, her suspicious glare falling onto her, “you seem _really_ interested in Shelby lately.”

Quinn scoffed. “So, it’s _Shelby_ now?”

“Is there something you wanna tell me?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she countered, folding her arms over her chest, reflecting Rachel’s cryptic gaze. “You’re being really fuckin’ weird about this. Would you have gotten this mad over Finn asking about her?”

_Fuckin’ Jesus, man._

She felt her face harden. “I am _not_ upset. And what does he have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know,” Quinn muttered irritably. “He’s the first person that came to mind, for fuck’s sake.” Rachel wouldn’t buy it. Not for a split second. It was an obvious attempt at deflecting attention from herself. “Didn’t you bring him over here? Did he not ask about her at all?”

“No and no,” Rachel responded firmly.

“He never asked about her being the competition or anything?”

She gritted her teeth before answering. “We weren’t exactly on speaking terms when everyone found out who she was.”

Her eyes flitted away, landing quizzically on a spot on the floor. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“How come?”

Her mouth lifted into a wan smile, shoulders lifting slightly. “It just sort of ended.”

Quinn’s voice faltered, treading carefully. “Did you ever think of taking him back?”

“Not really,” she said warily, unsure of where exactly she was going with all this.

“Mind if I ask why?”

She thought back to that first night on the very couch she and Quinn were just sitting on; how long Shelby’s head remained fixed between her knees, fingers interlocked with her own; the smoldering look that passed through her eyes when they looked at each other and the heavy silence that followed before they both succumbed to tears, Shelby kissing her and cradling her close as she calmed down.

“I moved on,” she said simply, failing to suppress the blush tinging her cheeks. “To bigger and better things,” she finished under her breath.

Quinn heard easily enough. “Like what?”

She glanced up at her through lidded eyes. “Quinn, are we really gonna talk about boys?”

She sighed resolutely. “Nope. I guess not.”

They held each other’s gaze for a few long moments, Rachel’s hands fixed on her hips, Quinn propped back against the kitchen counter.

“Well?”

“Well...”

Rachel’s lips twitched into a tight smile. “We should probably finish the goddamn song.”

Quinn’s face fell. “You suck.”

She grinned, taking her hand and leading her back to the piano. “Oh, no. How dare we finish what we came here for?”

She playfully bumped her shoulder before joining her on the stool, watching as Rachel’s hands moved to strike the opening chords again. “Who taught you to play?”

“She did, a little after I moved in.” She harkened back to those first few lessons, sitting primly in her mother’s lap, Shelby’s hands splayed over her own tentative fingers on the keys, conducting whatever piece lay out in front of them at the time… among other things.

“Your dads never signed you up for lessons?”

“Eh, between dancing, acting and singing, my plate was already kind of full.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “Do you mind if I…?”

She nodded, shifting over a little to allow Quinn some more space, her left hand coming up to replace one of her own. Much to her surprise, their hands flowed beautifully together, Rachel shocked to hear Quinn could play so well in the first place, both so enthralled in their movements, they continued without singing for a few minutes.

Quinn’s fingers slipped and hit a sour note. “Shit! Sorry,” she murmured before trying again. After one last fumbled attempt, she gave up, Rachel’s hand stilled to intervene.

“Here,” she said, covering her fingers and pressing down gently. “More like this. Just follow me.”

They continued slowly, Rachel doing her best to ignore the chill bumps creeping up along Quinn’s arm. She stole a sideways glance out the corner of her eye, noting how Quinn’s eyes never left the keys, her lower lip caught between her teeth, a dark flush seeping into her cheeks. Rachel wet her lips and swallowed.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded slowly. “It’s just been awhile since I’ve played, that’s all. I didn’t mean to fuck it up.”

“No, no. It’s fine,” she said quickly, hoping to mask the sudden chill in the air, the cool drift taking considerable effect on Quinn’s thinly veiled chest in her periphery. Her own body reacted in kind, much to her embarrassment. She blinked rapidly, desperate to focus her attention elsewhere, taking Quinn’s other hand and guiding it over to the other side. Her thumb grazed over the girl’s quickening pulse, her own rising at an alarming rate. Quinn’s breathing shallowed.

“Are you okay?” Rachel said, finally turning to face her. “You know, we don’t have to do this right—“

Before she could go on, Quinn’s head rushed up against hers, a pair of plush, pink lips fusing into her own. A small yelp of surprise gave way to soft moans, hands frozen stock still over the keys as Quinn’s lips moved of their own accord. Defying all logic and reason, she followed her lead, her mouth parting and allowing Quinn’s tongue to slide gently over her lower lip. Before Rachel could properly lose herself in the feel of her mouth, Quinn drew back, leaving her breathless.

They regarded each other slowly, carefully, neither saying a word until Rachel broke the silence. “What was that?”

Quinn shook her head. “I don’t fuckin’ know.”

She pursed her lips, silence looming over them with the occasional squeak of bare legs shifting against the leather seat. “We’re never gonna finish this song, are we?”

In a matter of seconds, Quinn was pulling her up and away, the two of them clambering blindly up the stairs, hands moving jerkily to unfasten and tear away whatever stitch of clothing could stand to come off first. Tangled in a mess of sloppy nips and kisses, their backs collided into the wall on their way up, Rachel taking firm hold of Quinn’s arms and leading her backwards, making damn sure they steered clear of the master bedroom. They banged straight through her door, Rachel shoving her back onto the bed and snatching open the tight confines of her blouse.

“Hey,” Quinn broke away, her breath hitching as Rachel’s teeth bared over her neck. “Look, I didn’t bring any other clothes with me, alright? And I really fuckin’ like this shirt, so—“

“Shut up,” she whispered into her skin, straddling her waist, hands unwavering, though she did take better care to avoid ripping away at the buttons. Her mind traced back to how callous Quinn had been while undressing her in the dream, her lips flexing into a ruthless grin at the memory. Oh, she’d find a way to forget about it soon enough. Or turn it over on its head, at the very least, change the dynamics if she could.

Her mouth never leaving Quinn’s throat, she slid the fabric down and off her shoulders, leaving it bunched tightly around her elbows instead of removing it altogether, trapping her arms behind her back. Quinn let out a low whine of protest, writhing against her restraints, wordlessly begging Rachel to set her free while merely invigorating her need to take over. Without thinking, she forced Quinn’s head back, sinking her teeth into her lower lip, her tongue pushing roughly inside of her mouth. Her arms snaked around to capture Quinn’s wrists in one hand, popping open the clasp of her bra with the other.

“Berry, I swear,” she grunted into Rachel’s mouth, “if I find out you’ve torn any of my stuff, I swear I’ll fuckin’ kill you.” She cried out suddenly, the feel of Rachel’s nails raking down her bare back catching her off guard. She arched instinctively into her.

“You’ll be fine,” she said with a growing smirk, silently reveling in her pain. “Trust me,” she murmured, dragging her tongue up along the creamy skin of her neck before circling the hollow of her ear.

Her teeth bore down roughly, Quinn gasping at the sensation. She chuckled. Clearly Quinn hadn’t played games like this before. She remembered just how often Shelby had conquered her in a similar fashion, damaged clothing being the least of Rachel’s worries in the aftermath. If she’d had her way, Shelby would’ve been given ample opportunity to shred much more than that, though often times, her mother was much too careful to ever let that be the case. Simply imagining being underneath Shelby again sent her hips pumping erratically into Quinn’s.

Finally, she relented, helping to release Quinn’s arms before baring her torso completely. Her hands flew to cup her pebbling breasts, kneading and squeezing enough to draw wanton moans from the girl’s lips. She leaned back and sucked in a short breath, her gaze drifting low from Quinn’s swollen lips, the smooth angle of her neck, all the way down to a pair of perfectly rounded nipples. She stopped to admire the slight contrast between them, Quinn’s blushing, milky skin malleable in her beautifully tanned hands.

Her mind fell back on Shelby as a convenient reference. Quinn was, without a doubt, well-endowed compared to Rachel, but she couldn’t top Shelby’s bountiful bust by a longshot. She vaguely noted the subtle difference in color, Quinn’s nipples a lighter hue than Shelby’s own rosy peaks.

“What?” Quinn husked low, her breath catching as Rachel’s thumb and index finger closed around one reddened nipple.

“Nothing,” she replied, smiling to herself, fingers tugging lightly as she spoke. Who would’ve guessed after all this time, with so many years of envy and vitriol between them, she’d be here, one of the head case popular girls in her bed, reduced to putty in her hands? Her lips played into a serene smile. It was practically surreal.

“This, uh, may not be the best time,” Quinn said carefully, as if crossing into dangerous territory, “but how long before Shelby makes it back?”

At the sound of her mother’s name, a chord struck deep within her, her fingers subconsciously cinching down around the blonde’s tender nub, pain shooting instantly to one breast. Quinn’s alarmed cries reached her ears, snapping her back to reality, the girl lurching back and crawling desperately away with one arm covering her abused flesh. It wasn’t until then that Rachel realized she’d done something wrong.

“Oh, shit,” she winced, mentally scolding herself. She reached out warily, Quinn flinching away from her.

“Jesus,” she hissed, face marred with pain. “What the hell’s wrong with you?!”

“I’m sorry,” she said sharply, hands stretched cautiously towards her. She watched as Quinn clutched herself protectively, one hand rubbing away the growing soreness, toughening her nipples without meaning to. She allowed her gaze to settle on them once again, head cocked curiously to the side as she considered what to do. She could fix this, right? She had to. It wouldn’t have been hard. Quinn just needed to move her hands first, relax a bit.

“Fuck’s sake! It was a valid question! I don’t want her to come in here and—“

She stopped mid-rant as Rachel swooped down in a blur, sweeping her hands away and sealing her lips around her swollen, maltreated little peak. Half surprised by her own actions, Rachel paused to deliver a soothing, experimental lick, soon pulling it gently between her teeth, Quinn’s halted breathing coming out slow and jagged up above her. Given her earlier treatment of her, she would’ve come to expect anything, _anything_ , except what happened next.

Quinn could’ve very well pushed her off, even slapped her and stormed off without speaking to her ever again. All things considered, she probably would’ve accepted it. She looked up through half-lidded eyes, shocked to find Quinn worrying her lip between her teeth, eyes ground shut, face contorted with something dark and primal. She bit out a short, gruff laugh.

_Well, that didn’t take long._

She circled an arm around her waist, lowering her gently onto her back, Quinn’s hand coming up to cup the back of her head. She offered herself further into Rachel’s mouth, knotting her fingers through a curtain of dark hair as that serpent tongue swirled in enchanting patterns around her nipple. Her head fell back against the pillow, Rachel spreading fully on top of her with surprisingly no resistance from below. It was funny. In all the years she’d known Quinn, she never envisioned her to be so submissive, much less allow other girls to touch her in the first place. Though, to be fair, she never would’ve pictured herself being this assertive with anyone, either. While she loved serving every once in a blue moon, she largely took pleasure in having someone else take the reins. Perhaps, being with Shelby had conditioned her to new levels of subservience she previously wouldn’t have enjoyed.

Her hand ventured low to cup Quinn under her skirt, eliciting deep moans she never would’ve dreamed of hearing before. But, lo and behold, she had indeed dreamt of hearing her anyway. She couldn’t very well forget about that anytime soon.

Her lips came off of Quinn’s breast with a slick, wet pop as she moved to sit up, the girl mewling in protest at the loss of attention. She passed a long, lingering glance over her half naked form, her pale, puckered nipples, the smooth expanse of her belly, her skirt hiked haphazardly over her parted thighs.

“You okay?” Quinn’s voice came softly over the sound of her own heart drumming in her ears. She stopped to meet her gaze, the blonde’s hands skimming idly over her thighs as she inched her hips up to settle on her midriff. Just then, at the most inopportune time possible, something came to her.

“Shelby,” she uttered under her breath, so low she didn’t think Quinn would hear.

Panic rose in her voice in a heartbeat. “Is she coming here? Like, right now?” She hefted herself up awkwardly back on her elbows, Rachel’s hand coming down firmly onto her chest to guide her back down. She gave in, Rachel’s other hand wandering up to palm her breast.

She peered down with a satisfied grin. “If we’re gonna do this,” she said, leaning in and kissing her, “I don’t wanna hear you say her name again.” She pulled back, leaving her in a daze, the blonde’s emphatic heartbeat pumping into her hand as she touched her.

“…’kay,” Quinn agreed flatly.

She chuckled, her lips trailing lower, Quinn’s hips jutting forward until Rachel’s own weight bore her back down. She curled her body down until she sat nestled between her thighs, halfway through tugging off Quinn’s skirt when she remembered her own clothes constricting her every move in her current position. She shirked her top in a matter of seconds, Quinn watching in awe as she bared her breasts. She felt her face flush at the blonde’s expression. Quinn Fabray was looking at her, _really_ looking at her, not a trace of amusement or disgust to be seen, but rather, pure lust, longing, and a hint of admiration she never would’ve predicted witnessing before. Her nipples tensed, rock hard, not so much from the sensation of being exposed, but under the cool, curious gaze of the girl beneath her.

“Can I?” Quinn’s reluctant eyes lifted to meet hers.

“Of course you can,” Rachel scoffed, painfully blunt, pulling Quinn’s bashful hands up to fold over her chest. “Jesus, why else would I take them out?”

Quinn said nothing, far too stunned to make a witty comeback. Her palms rested uneasily against Rachel’s tan, blushing skin, almost refusing to move until she felt her pliant flesh peak into her fingers. Rachel released a low, keen wail, Quinn’s fingers moving rhythmically around each little, rosy bud, cherishing the feel of them yielding beneath her hands. She barely had enough time to enjoy herself, get a proper handful in, before Rachel seized her hands and pinned them down to her sides, her head drifting so far down Quinn could hardly strain herself to look. Much to her surprise, Rachel no longer cared to undress her completely, instead pushing her skirt all the way up past her hips and peeling off her underwear.

Before going any further, she paused to admire the warm, silken red center hidden there, a full tuft of dirty blonde curls crowning the top and cresting along the sides. Her lips curved in mild amusement. Who would’ve thought even Little Miss Perfect would keep her hair fully intact? It didn’t bother her in the slightest. In fact, it made her feel more human. She stroked two fingers over the twirling, intricate patterns, tracing a perfect oval around her outer flesh before clearing her path with both hands. She knew what to do. Shelby had taught her well, whether she meant to or not.

Quinn’s legs wriggled uncomfortably around her in a futile attempt to close. “Sorry. I can go and shave right quick if you want—“

She shook her head fervently, diving in headfirst for the kill. “Nope!”

***

“Not gonna lie, pumpkin. I did _not_ expect to find your sweet ass back here again.” Blonde ringlets slipped past a pair of bony shoulders as she tipped back to spare a glance. “Good to see it’s still holding up well. I kind of missed it.”

Shelby stared blankly ahead, her head spinning, propped lazily up on one elbow. “This day couldn’t get any fuckin’ longer, I swear…”

She’d barely had enough time to clear her head after those first couple of drinks, let alone enough time to register bumping into an old flame, when April ordered them another round. She didn’t even care to look and see what the tiny blonde had ordered them, her gaze trained on the half empty bottles of whiskey stacked against the wall ahead.

April’s giddy cackle snapped her painfully back to the present, her slim fingers pushing Shelby’s glass closer to her. ”Oh, come on! What’s the matter, juju? Ain’t you happy to see me?”

She cringed at the sound of her old pet name, having a hard time believing it’d been almost fifteen years since she’d last heard it. She couldn’t say she missed it, either. _Jewby Jewel_. Fuck’s sake. At the time, April had thought it was so cute, so clever, no matter how much it visibly made Shelby’s skin crawl.

“You don’t want me to answer that,” she answered dryly without looking at her. She jumped at a rough poke to the ribs.

“Oh, hush up! I know you are,” she chided playfully. “It’s been a hot minute, right?”

_Not long enough._

She gave a pinched smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess it has.”

Admittedly, their separation had been suboptimal at best. At its worst, well…

“Left on a bit of a bad note didn’t we?” She grimaced, her voice faltering slightly.

It was Shelby’s turn to laugh. “Bit of an understatement, but yeah.”

She remembered that last night all too well. How could she forget? The rank stench of tequila hot on their breath, their raucous voices clamoring over each other in that cramped, shitty little apartment. She was so hammered at the time, she couldn’t even remember everything they’d argued about, only that it ended distinctly with April being shoved into a wall and her storming out the front door with a bloodied nose, aimlessly wandering the streets for hours before crashing on a friend’s couch. April had called her the next day, nursing a hangover and complaining of a bruised hip, much to Shelby’s sick satisfaction at the time. She remembered even laughing into the receiver before hanging up. It was out of a morbid sense of luck she’d managed to escape without a broken nose. She’d been set to go on stage the night after that; it would’ve been hell trying to cover that up.

She could’ve sworn she noticed April wincing out of the corner of her eye.

“Well,” she began, clearing her throat and raising her glass, “here’s to growing up and moving on. To making it out alive.”

Shelby finally looked at her, absorbing that familiar, brilliant smile, those gleaming pearly-white teeth, cerulean blue eyes shining sincere and hopeful, just as she’d always remembered.

_Aw, shit._

Wordlessly, she followed suit, April’s infectious, celebratory giggle chiming in her ears as their glasses clinked together. She smiled in turn, taking a few long sips of a ruby red concoction in spite of herself.

April downed it all in a small fraction of a minute. “So, you earned your red wings yet?”

Not even halfway into her own drink, Shelby spurted and coughed, catching as much as she could in the crook of her elbow, a few red droplets spraying onto the counter. She searched frantically for a couple of square white napkins.

“I’ll take that as a no, I guess,” April tittered, instantly reaching for another glass. 

She dabbed furiously at the mess she made, grumbling angrily to herself. “You picked the _worst_ time in the world to ask me that.”

“Oh? And what better time and place to ask than this?” She made a flippant gesture about their surroundings, popping an olive into her mouth. “Last time I checked, this ain’t fuckin’ HR, juju!”

She felt her face redden, blood rushing all the way to the tips of her ears. “How about when I’m not drinking a goddamn Bloody Mary, April! Fuckin’ Jesus!” She stole a glance at the red-splotched napkins on the counter and shuddered, a new wave of nausea claiming her stomach.

April seemed ready to offer another swift comeback, holding back to consider what Shelby said. Her face lit up with a lop-sided grin, eyes twinkling with the sudden realization.

“Heh, yeah. Makes sense. Still,” her demeanor changed from humorous to a light scolding, a cautionary finger wagging in Shelby’s direction, “you should probably go ahead and get those.” She leaned in to deliver a slap to Shelby’s knee, laughing again. “Trust me, you have not _lived_ until you’ve had—“

Shelby grazed a sobering look her way, clearly unamused.

Her smile faded. “Alright, sorry,” she flat-lined before switching gears. “Seriously, though, what are you doing back here?”

She pushed her drink away and moved to cover the dirty napkins. “I could ask you the same.”

“Well, I thought you were in New York this whole time?”

“I was,” she answered plainly.

“Well, then what are you doing back here? I thought you said you were done with this place.”

She grinned, flagging down the waiter for a glass of water. “Not exactly.”

“Are you still on stage, or what?”

“Eh, more or less. I’m not the one performing this time.” She caught April’s blank stare before clarifying. “I coach show choir now. I can’t decide which is more stressful now, being part of the show or directing it.”

“Directing it isn’t being a part of it?”

“Ugh, fuck off,” Shelby rolled her eyes, holding her face in her hands. “You know what I meant. Ever since I’ve started, they’ve given me the craziest little shitheads to work with. It seems like every other week, they’re off terrorizing the village. They throw shit at each other, dump shit all over the goddamn floor, leave toilet paper all over the fucking room…. It’s like dealing with a bunch of fucking eight-year-olds.”

“You couldn’t have coached anywhere else?” April chuckled, lightly stirring her drink. “Why here?”

Her hands slipped away, a broad smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I had bigger reasons for coming back.”

“Like what?” The sudden change in Shelby’s voice didn’t go unnoticed.

She dug through her purse again, thumbing through her wallet until she came across Rachel’s senior portrait. April took it, glancing back and forth between them, her jaw growing slack at the uncanny resemblance.

“Is this—“

Shelby nodded. “Yes, ma’am. It is.”

She squealed in girlish delight, finally managing to pull a genuine laugh out of Shelby. “I mean, I remember you telling me about a little girl back then. But it’s been so long.”

“Well, there she is,” she beamed proudly, replacing it in her wallet.

“It’s funny,” April said, pursing her lips. “She looks so familiar.”

“I’m sure,” Shelby laughed. “She reminds me a lot of myself back then. It scares the hell outta me sometimes.”

“No, no. I mean, I think I’ve actually seen her around before.”

Shelby’s brow raised in skepticism. “How? And when?”

April shrugged. “I’ve been in Lima longer than you think, Shelbs. Does she go to school around here?”

“She graduates soon,” Shelby answered, purposefully avoiding the question and grunting in discomfort at the prospect of April bumping into her little girl in any given setting. She didn’t want to believe it was possible, but as it turned out, Lima was an infinitely smaller world than she could’ve imagined.

“She’s beautiful,” April gushed, throwing a playful smack to her knee again. “You should’ve mentioned her sooner. How’d you end up finding her?”

Her mind reeled back to the steamy session she and Rachel held in the shower that very morning, a dangerous flush rouging her neck and cheeks.

“Long story,” she replied, snatching up her drink again, a convenient distraction if there ever was one.

“Big girl, now, huh? She going into the family business?”

“Absolutely,” she said with utmost confidence. “Our genes run strong.”

“I see,” she said, folding a hand over Shelby’s and squeezing gently. “I’m glad everything’s worked out well, honey. I really am.”

She smiled evenly, surprised that for the first time in years, she didn’t feel the impulse to flinch or pull away at her touch. “How about you? What’ve you been up to all this time?”

She tipped her head back with a mirthless chuckle. “Funny you should ask.”

“Oh, jeez. What’d you do this time?”

“I, uh, wrote an all-white version of _The Wiz_ a couple of years ago.”

Shelby paused mid-sip.

“It flopped, so…” she went on with a flick of her wrist, “I tried again with _The Color Purple_.”

Shelby waited. “And?”

She shrugged hopefully, a loopy grin spread over her face. “Well, there’s always _Roots_.”

Shelby’s eyes lifted to the ceiling.

“…Or the most recent princess and the frog movie?”

“Pretty sure there’s already a white version of that somewhere—“

“Aw, screw it. I’m fucked.”

Shelby gave an incredulous shake of her head, taking one last hearty gulp of her drink. “How the fuck did we even make it to two years?”

“Blood, sweat, shame…”

“And a shit ton of beer,” they concluded together, their laughter rising into mindless cackles, earning a few odd looks from the other patrons.

“If the cunt fits…” April mused.

“Fuck you,” Shelby said sharply, half-tempted to shove her clear off the barstool.

“You really were a little badass, though. Best I had in years.”

“Please. We barely even had time for that.”

“But when we did…”

“I don’t even know how I made it to rehearsal half the time. You had me so fucked up I could barely make it outta the house.”

“You were such a fuckin’ lightweight, it was ridiculous.”

Shelby remembered more vividly than she cared for. Even at the worst of times, April provided little comfort, far too busy laughing and reveling in her misery to do so much as hold her hair back.

“Fuck you very much.”

“Sorry. I won’t forget about that anytime soon. Wasn’t there something else? I mean, what else happened when we were out there?”

“A lot of things happened, April.”

“No, no, no,” she tutted with a flap of her hand. “There was something else. I think we got into it over something. I can’t even remember what it was over, I was so fuckin’ trashed. I just know it took me forever to help with your makeup the next day.”

Shelby considered for a minute before it dawned on her. “Oh, my god. You—“

“You do remember!” April leapt up, jabbing a bony finger in her direction.

“Sadly, yes,” she remarked, her tone dropping flat again, the memories flooding back a little too quickly for her liking. “ _You_ looked fine after I did yours, but—“

“I know.” April nodded slowly. “I got you so bad, I couldn’t even cover it up all the way. I felt so bad. I was so out of it, too!”

“Yes, I know. I spent the next few days trying to convince everyone I hadn’t been gang-raped or mugged or some shit.”

“God, what were we even mad about? I can’t even remember that one.”

“We were both wasted, honey. There’s no telling.”

“Hmm, maybe,” April agreed somberly before waving over the bartender for another round of shots, Shelby far too caught up in reminiscence to even notice.

Just thinking about how they’d endured for so long back then gave her the sudden urge to bash her face into the wall. She should’ve known better, but, then again, back then she’d had a hard time saying no, even in the face of pain. Not to mention, they’d given each other the thrill and excitement they both craved in the fight to avoid feeling broke and helpless in a strange city together. It was a shame the best and worst times were shrouded in a cloud of cigarette smoke and booze, but it got the job done at the time. Still, she could’ve done without the collection of scratches and bruises left in the wake, though she’d reciprocated so harshly, and with such lasting impact, it sometimes made it hard to fully condemn April at all. Consequently, it made her feel twice as guarded over allowing anyone to touch her, forever afraid of flinching at even the slightest caress, the effects carrying over into her liaisons with Rachel.

She cleared her throat, sickened that she’d even made a vague connection between them. “So, what else have you been up to?”

She hesitated. “I’ve been trying to go to AA.”

“Oh? How’s that going?”

“It’s… going.”

Shelby stared pointedly at the freshly made drinks in front of them. “I see.”

“I’m getting there. Slowly.”

“At least you’re trying. I guess,” she sighed in resignation. She’d long since learned there was little she could do to try and save April from her vices, especially when she very much had her own to deal with. Her last futile attempts to help were met with disastrous results.

“Just drink,” she responded curtly. “What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“If I remember correctly, you always hated the bar scene.”

“It’s been a long day,” she said wearily, lightly massaging her temples.

“You know, I have just the thing for that,” she said, digging through her purse.

“Enough.” Christ, there was no telling what other substances April had dipped into over the years.

“Jesus, you haven’t changed a bit! Such a fuckin’ tight-ass…”

“And as I recall,” she slurred, leaning in close, liquid courage suddenly kicking in, “you enjoyed every bit of it.”

“That I did,” she concurred, flashing that same stunning Cheshire grin that won her over so long ago. She stole one last appreciative glance over that gentle slope before meeting her eyes again, the mischievous glint never leaving her face. “Shame I ever let it go.”

“You mean after you were done tearing it up?” Shelby teased, doing her best to keep any trace of bitterness out of her voice.

“Funny,” April challenged, low and husky, daring to let their foreheads touch, Shelby pushing back easily. It was anything but affectionate, more akin to a couple of bulls squaring off. “I seem to remember you enjoying every minute of it. So much, in fact, you had no problem returning the favor.”

She screwed her lips into a tightly forced grin, unable to tear away from those perfect dimples, that keen, wolfish smirk, focusing anywhere but those tempting crystal gems. For a second, she feared showing any sign of weakness until it became increasingly obvious April’s own gaze drifted anywhere but her eyes, almost sizing her up. It never ceased to amaze her how, despite their distinct difference in stature, April still managed to find subtle ways to throw her off and intimidate her.

“You’ll forgive me for trying to defend myself, you know, like a normal person.”

She emitted a haughty chuckle. “Really? Is that what happened?”

She said nothing, not trusting her voice enough to offer a witty reply, the cutting tone in the blonde’s voice reducing her to a befuddled mess. She’d be wrong to deny that her interest in sadism had piqued under April’s influence, but the reckless manner they’d practiced with left them venturing far beyond what fragile boundaries she’d had in place back then. The fact that they drank too damn much didn’t help matters. It was hard to tell, at times, what was playful or spiteful, often resulting in hurt feelings and blood stains on the sheets. Honestly, it was no wonder she had trouble relinquishing control when Rachel would touch her.

“You overestimate what little charm you have left,” she muttered bleakly, a pathetic, sordid attempt at reclaiming her dignity. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to have had so many drinks with this woman ever again. It never yielded the best outlook for her in the end.

April detected it swiftly enough. “I’d be careful, baby,” she warned in a hushed whisper, pressing her knee intently between Shelby’s, nudging the inside of her thigh. “I’d hate for anyone here to see you on your back.”

Shelby sucked in a short breath. _Bad idea, Corcoran. Very, very bad idea._

April’s nails came to scratch gently under her chin, Shelby’s legs snapping involuntarily around the blonde’s protruding knee. She gleefully shook her head, withdrawing from between her legs and throwing back the rest of her drink, leaving Shelby to fall mercilessly back into the present.

“The night is still young,” she said, raising her glass. “Speaking of which, where’s your little girl?”

Shelby struggled for a minute to reorient herself, unsure of how Rachel could possibly come into discussion after such a heated exchange. “At home, probably fucking the head cheerleader,” she remarked without thinking.

“What?”

“At home. I haven’t seen her,” she amended quickly, doing her best to avoid April’s puzzled expression. “Not since this morning, anyway.”

_Almost broke the goddamn shower door, for fuck’s sake._

“You don’t let her out on school nights?”

“Sure, I do. Just not so late. She had work to do, so she made it back before me.”

“You put her to bed early?”

_In more ways than one._

She caught the way April’s eyebrows waggled intently and rolled her eyes. “She’s a light sleeper. So, whatever shot you think you have at scoring some last minute reunion fuck is not gonna happen.”

She shrugged evenly. “Can’t blame a girl for trying,” she quipped, waving over the very exasperated bar hand for a couple of tall glasses of beer, Shelby accepting hers with shockingly little resistance.

Shelby barely paid any attention, her mind now trained on her daughter’s whereabouts, whether she’d actually taken Quinn back home or simply had her for dinner as she’d crudely predicted. It begged the question.

_Hmm. What’s little Ray up to now?_

***

“Well,” Quinn pondered aloud. “ _That_ happened.”

Rachel turned to look at her, smiling contentedly to herself.

_Oh, yeah. I did good._

She had to admit it. The sight of Quinn Fabray, head bitch debutante, lounging post-coitus on her girlish pink sheets was oddly endearing. A deep, red scratch tracing across the girl’s inner thigh caught her attention. She winced inwardly. She’d been anything but gentle, Quinn accepting her brutal advances a lot better than she’d expected. She thought back ruefully to her savage attempts at taking the power back. From what exactly, whether it was to escape the details of her own ravishment in her dream or to take Quinn’s mind off of Shelby, she had no idea. She stole a sideways glance out the corner of her eye, almost ashamed to look now that she realized how much damage she’d inflicted, how twisted her own motivation behind it all was regardless of Quinn’s enjoyment. Quinn lay spread out over the sheets, one leg propped up over her knee, fresh teeth marks and bruises visible on the inside of her thigh, her dainty fingers scraping away at some chipped polish on her toes. If she’d been disturbed at all by just how rough Rachel could be, she gave no indication of it.

She passed an experimental lick over her lips, now able to appreciate the tang instead of focusing so much on tearing the girl apart. She tasted differently than Shelby, not necessarily in a bad way, but different all the same. She couldn’t help but refer back to her mother, suddenly considering what her reaction would be. Her stomach plummeted with guilt. She remembered what Shelby had said about her moving on several months before, how swiftly she’d rejected the possibility of it alone. And yet, here she was. How was she going to explain this to her if she ever found out about this? She could barely come to grips with the situation herself. Hell, what were Quinn’s thoughts about it? She hadn’t even considered what was going through the girl’s head when she bedded her. Did she want something more permanent after this? Doubtful, though she couldn’t be entirely sure. Still, would she even want to stay friends with her after tonight?

She braced her arms behind her head. “Fuckin’ pillow princess,” she quipped, desperate to break the silence. She grinned as a fluffy, purple pillow connected with her face.

“Fuck you,” Quinn groaned, unable to suppress her own laughter.

She clutched it to her bare chest for warmth, picking idly at a stray thread running out of the side. “God, you’re worse than me.”

“Great. So, you’re admitting something.”

“What?”

Quinn rose up halfway and locked eyes with her, propped back on her elbows. “That wasn’t your first time.” It wasn’t a question. Not even close.

She stared wordlessly back at her, Quinn clearly awaiting a response. “No,” she sighed in admission. “It wasn’t.”

There was little to no use in denying it, not after what transpired in her mother’s home of all places. It didn’t bother her so much until now. God, what was she thinking? It was one thing to go over to her dads’ place for this; there was hardly anything sacred about it, and they were barely home enough to notice anything amiss, whereas Shelby tended to notice everything. But here…? Jesus, they’d christened just about every room in the house, short of the guest room and—now that she thought of it— _her_ room. She felt her face streak red. It felt treasonous bringing Quinn over in the first place.

“Are you surprised?”

Quinn shrugged indifferently. “A little,” she said, dusting a few specks of chipped polish off the bed. “I never really pegged you being into girls.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Only a little.” Then, she caught the knowing glint in Rachel’s eyes. “Okay, fine! Whatever. I still like boys, though, so—“

She touched a hand to her arm. “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Quinn. Trust me, it’s fine. As long as Puck doesn’t shove me into a locker or—“

“Don’t,” she raised a finger in objection. “Please, just don’t. That’s been over and done with for a while now.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. If he does anything stupid, it won’t be over me. Not anymore. And I fully intend to keep it that way.”

She plucked away a few offending pieces of lint on the pillow case. “When did you know?”

“Know what?”

“Seriously?”

“You really don’t make things easy, do you?”

“Not typically, no.” _I’m sure Shelby would agree._ “Really, though. I don’t think that was your first, either.”

“Eh. Not technically,” she hesitated, biting her lip. She struggled as she met Rachel’s inquisitive gaze. “Santana and I kinda… did some stuff at cheer camp once.”

Rachel waited.

“Twice.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Okay, fuck you,” she grumbled, Rachel’s head shaking with a disbelieving chuckle. “It was, like, long before she and Brittany got together.”

“I should’ve known. Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Who was I gonna tell? Plus, what do you think would’ve happened?”

She stopped to consider the shaky aftermath of Quinn’s pregnancy, hell, even Santana’s own rude awakening after coming out, before she privately agreed.

“Besides,” Quinn continued, “we really didn’t do that much. I mean, not like what we were—“

“I get it. So, _you_ knew before everyone else?”

“Santana can’t hide anything for shit. It was only a matter of time.”

“I’m surprised you two didn’t make it before Brittany came along.”

“I’m not…” Quinn muttered offhandedly.

“Was she really that bad?”

Quinn’s eyes slid over suspiciously. “Really?”

Rachel made a flippant gesture around them. “Might as well, while we’re here.”

“No,” she said, rolling her eyes back to the ceiling. “Not bad. Just different than you’d expect.”

“Really?” Rachel grinned.

“She’s not as ‘Lima Heights’ as she says she is. I don’t know how she is with Brittany, but, she wasn’t as… _aggressive_ as you think.”

“Not sure if I should be surprised or amused.”

“What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“Who was yours?”

She swallowed over the growing lump in her throat. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, come on! I told you mine. Is it someone I know?”

She pursed her lips, her stomach coiling.

“Is she in one of our classes?”

She licked her lips nervously, the taste of Quinn’s essence still fresh on her palate.

“Is she even from the same state?”

“Like I said,” she repeatedly firmly this time, “don’t worry about it.”

She scoffed before giving up. “Pussy.”

She shrugged evenly. “You are what you eat.”

Their eyes met for a brief moment, Rachel shocked at her own brazenness for a split second, before they both cracked, roaring with laughter.

“You’re crazy,” Quinn said, wiping her eyes. “Whoever she is, she must’ve been good.”

_Still is!_

“I don’t know how we’re gonna do this fucking song now.”

“Please don’t make me get up. We can practice sometime tomorrow. I’m kinda tired.”

“Same.”

“Can I sleep for a bit before we go?”

“Your mom won’t freak out? It’s getting a bit late.”

She yawned into her arm. “I’m more worried about yours.”

Rachel turned on her sharply. “Why?”

“Calm the fuck down. Jesus. Seriously, though. Unless Santana set the school on fire, I don’t see why she’d be gone this long. Rehearsal’s never lasted this long, even for us.”

She stared thoughtfully back at her before switching her attention to a dark spot on the ceiling. As much as she loathed the fact that Shelby had even crossed Quinn’s mind in the first place, she couldn’t help but share her concerns. She referenced her phone for the time. A little after ten. Just an hour before her curfew would be up. Normally, around this time, they’d get ready for bed. Or, rather, Shelby would have gotten ready while Rachel would’ve conjured up a few less than subtle ways to distract her and keep her up longer.

Granted, Shelby had warned her she wouldn’t make it back in time for dinner, but this was going overboard. She would’ve at least called if she knew she’d be this late. Quinn’s breathing evened out beside her, Rachel slowly fading away herself. She knew she needed to take her home soon. It’d be one thing seeing Shelby heartbroken over seeing them like this; for her to see Quinn here well after curfew would be a completely different story. She snuggled deeper under the covers, her eyelids growing heavy. She gave in and let them shut. She’d drive her home in a few minutes. She just needed to rest first, take some time to figure out where to go from here. She’d definitely need to wash the sheets once she got back, rinse her mouth a couple of times before Shelby saw her. She hoped she didn’t sport any of the telling bruises she’d left on Quinn’s neck. There’d be no getting rid of those anytime soon. Reluctantly, she nodded off, her head sinking into the pillow with the same recurring question.

_Where the fuck is she?_

***

“Where are you taking me?” Shelby mumbled, one arm slung haphazardly around April’s slight shoulders.

“Just take it easy, sugar. We’re almost there,” she said, hefting her along.

One too many beers later, Shelby finally decided it was time to go, stumbling blindly away and muttering to herself until April caught her and led her out. Shamefully so far gone, she could barely give her a lucid description of her car, the two of them limping and wandering stupidly around the parking lot. Halfway into their search, Shelby decided to make a game out of it, heavily insisting a random vehicle was hers and cackling madly when April discovered her keys didn’t match up. After five cars, she gave up, mashing the panic button on Shelby’s keys as a quick reference before hobbling over to the Range Rover.

“Alright, here we go, juju,” she grunted, wielding open the door to the backseat. “Home sweet home.”

“I told you to stop fucking calling me that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, guiding her backwards onto the cool leather and shutting the door after them. “Blah, blah, culturally insensitive, blah, blah.”

“Okay, you know what? Fuck you, April. Just, _fuck_ you,” she protested weakly as April pulled off her shoes.

“Shut up and go to sleep. Christ, you’re pathetic…”

“I can’t,” she snapped. “Ray needs me back at the house.”

“What? Like this?”

“It’s fine. I’ll just—“

“No, you’ll do nothing,” she said in finality, her own patience running thin. “Just get some rest. I’ll sit with you until—“

“The fuck you will…”

“To make sure your crazy ass won’t drive off a fuckin’ cliff or something!”

“I’m 37 goddamn years old! I don’t need a fucking babysitter.” She stopped to clutch at her forehead. “Jesus, what time is it?”

“Little after midnight. Why?”

“ _Fuck_. Ray’s probably freaking out.”

“I’m sure she’ll be just fine. It’s not like you do this every day, right,” she added a little too cheerfully for Shelby’s taste. “You need me to call her or something?”

“No! You’re not talking to my daughter! Understand? Not gonna happen.” Even in her disheveled state, the prospect of Rachel coming face to face with her volatile, drunken ex seemed way out of bounds.

“Alright, fine. Just calm down,” she sighed, kicking off her heels. “I’ll just stay right here until you wake up.”

Her lips stretched into a tight smirk, her mind replaying the same routine they’d followed through back in school. Though, from what she could remember, she’d usually been the one to sit and make sure April hadn’t choked on her own vomit in her sleep, provided she wasn’t totally wasted herself.

“You know,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “as far as shit decisions go, I can’t decide which is worse. Giving up my baby or bumping into your drunken whore ass again.”

Faster than she could count, April’s ringed hand shot out and slammed into her jaw. For a split second, her vision became white, her head rocking back and banging into the armrest, a fresh gash of blood oozing and slashing from the corner of her mouth down to her chin.

She struggled to sit up, her head swimming as she bordered on the verge of tears. “You fucking cunt! That was my goddamn head!”

“Oh, jeez. Shelby, I’m so sorry,” she winced, Shelby shocked at the sincerity she detected in her voice. She reached out and touched a hand to her face, blood dripping onto her palm. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m sorry. Here, let me—“

She was cut off abruptly, Shelby lunging forward and knocking her backwards, hands diving in to close around her neck. Before she could gain a strong enough hold, April’s tiny bare foot buried into her chest, launching her back with an overwhelming force Shelby had never seen before. True, April could, at times, be quite strong for someone her size; but normally, once Shelby had her pinned, she stayed down. This time, however, she ended up on her back, April doubling over her and catching her oncoming fist in one hand, the other vising down around her throat.

“Listen to me,” she hissed, bearing down all of her weight, “I’m sorry for what I did. But I am not going through this crazy shit with you ever again. Understand?” Shelby thrust her hips up in a failed attempt to throw her off, one of April’s bony knees coming up to drive roughly into her groin. “Knock it the fuck off or I promise you, you won’t like what happens next.”

“Fuck you,” she bit out through the blood draining through her teeth, rasping against April’s nimble fingers. God, she should’ve left the minute she saw her, should’ve known, if given the chance, April would try to shoot her up with drinks just to get her here. She had to have planned all this from the get go. “Get off!” She bucked her hips in vain, April’s grip tightening until her vision clouded over. “You little fuckin’ bitch! I’ll kill you—“

“Shut up and sleep it off!”

Her free hand clasped down around April’s wrist, wrenching it back just enough to allow the last bit of air to escape her throat, the bruising weight in her pelvis growing painful. “Get off my fuckin’ cunt unless you’re gonna use it right!”

They froze stock still, eyes locked, both panting and confused. April’s fingers loosened of their own accord, Shelby’s pupils dilating as she gulped for air. She couldn’t explain herself. Hell, she wasn’t even sure what spur of the moment made her say it. It wasn’t until then she realized the hand she’d intended to strike with hung above her, pinned flush against the fogging window.

_Smooth, Corcoran. Real fuckin’ smooth._

“Fuck it.” She raised her head, snagging April’s lower lip between her teeth, the blonde’s own mouth lowering to fully meet her own. Her assaulting knee ground with newfound purpose into her center, rubbing her raw through her jeans. Their lips and tongues worked sloppily against each other, Shelby’s legs wedged farther apart as April surrendered her arm. Her fingers came up to knot through silky blonde curls, drawing her closer, April’s mouth leering against hers as she rested her weight more easily against her.

Her lips inched lower, nipping and biting along the path of her firm jaw, down her neck and sternum. Her eyes flitted shut, April’s mouth reaching the dipping neckline of her top, one of her fingers tracing an imaginary line down her torso, reaching the hem. She gave a wicked smirk, yanking the material up and exposing the supple, yielding flesh beneath. Shelby refused to open her eyes, refused to even speak, afraid to let something else stupid slip past her lips. Even behind closed lids, she could feel April’s hungry gaze sweeping over her, her breath coming short as her hands drifted back up to cup the swell of her breasts.

“Lord, have I missed these,” she drawled, her head dropping low to feast on the set of glorious dusky nipples spilled out pert and ready for her. 

She arched her back with deep anticipatory moans, shamelessly offering them up, her hips jutting forward as her bra was pushed up, April’s greedy mouth attacking one of her blushing nipples with feverish bites and licks. Her head lolled back with heady moans, one hand clutching April’s head to her chest as one leg hiked up around her waist, her warmth growing damp against the blonde’s persistent knee. One hand left her breast, snaking below to unfasten her jeans, fingers slipping deftly beneath the waistband to press against the heated bundle there. She felt her insides clench, her other hand flying up to scratch at April’s back, the wet machinations of her mischievous tongue combined with the libidinous exploration of her fingers making her head spin.

“Ray…”

April popped reluctantly off her breast, one brow arched in confusion. “What about her?”

Her pebbled chest heaved in exertion, April’s lower lip gently grazing over one hardened tip. She didn’t know what it was. Perhaps it was something about that lithe form against hers, the generous attention paid to her nipple that someone else typically gave, or maybe even the fact that she’d gotten so trashed thinking about Rachel in the first place.

“Nothing,” she answered finally, twirling one golden lock around her finger. “I’ve just never left her alone this late.”

“You sure you don’t need me to call—“

“No,” she said firmly, soon regretting she’d even brought her up to begin with.

She leaned in and chuckled, nuzzling her neck, her breath teasing the base of Shelby’s ear. “You are so fuckin’ crazed.”

“Yeah?” Shelby remarked, hooking her hands under her shoulders, promptly flipping them over, April’s surprised yelps cut short as their mouths collided hotly again.

April’s hand sought out her heated cunt once more, Shelby pressing eagerly into her hunting digits slipping effortlessly into her. Husky groans rumbled at the back of her throat as she seized a grip on April’s leg, throwing it easily over her shoulder and working her hips to where their sodden cores met. She swore as April’s hand continued at a maddened pace between them, the added friction commanding her inner walls to constrict and bear down around her slick fingers. April’s bare foot beat against the ceiling above her as they moved, Shelby gripping her thigh and the front headrest for support, her mouth pressed frothing and wet against the inside of her leg. They rutted wildly into each other, the cramped confines of the backseat doing little to aid their movements, let alone relieve the growing soreness in Shelby’s back and neck. Their combined incoherent mumblings flooded her ears, the two of them climbing higher and higher until…

_Oh, fuck no. Come on!_

Her stomach lurched, warm acid rushing to the back of her throat. Without warning, she pushed off, whirling around and throwing open the door, vomit spraying and splashing hotly onto the pavement. She retched and heaved, coughing up what little she had left in her stomach, a comforting hand placed on her back.

“You good, honey?”

She hawked and spit one last time, sweeping her hair back behind her ears before leaning back and shutting the door. Little spurts of laughter came over her collected breathing.

“What?” she demanded irritably.

April shook her head. “After all this time and you’re still—“

“Yes, yes. Light as fuck, I know. I remember. Fuckin’ Jesus,” she grumbled, swiping a hand over her mouth.

A hot shower sounded good right about now. And a toothbrush, now that she thought about it. Maybe a bit of ginger ale and saltines, Marcy Playground in the background as she slept, Rachel serving as the little spoon, of course.

She held her face in her hands. ”I’m gettin’ too old for this shit…”

“You should sleep. You really don’t need to go anywhere right now.”

“Whatever,” she muttered, curling up over the warmed leather. “Remind me to Lysol this shit in the morning.”

She folded her arms over her eyes, just allowing herself to drift, not having the heart or the energy to resist as April lightly massaged her calves. She was mercifully quiet for a change, more than she’d ever cared to be when Shelby tried to sleep after a heavy, brutal session between them. The leather squeaked and shifted awkwardly beneath her, April’s sudden movement stirring her awake. She was nearly gone when she felt her jeans being tugged gently down to her ankles.

“April,” she protested groggily, legs parting in spite of herself. “I really don’t think I can keep going. I’m—“

“Shh. Just sleep. I’ve got you,” she murmured against her, those warm, wet lips moving in closer, doing away with any fear and loathing she’d held before.

_Always when I’m fuckin’ asleep. Jesus fuck…_

She let her take over, slowly drifting away, her foggy mind temporarily replacing the blonde tresses disappearing between her knees with brown ones before she shut her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC Give me two weeks.


	4. Vous Me Tuez

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward meetings and light musing over the future.

Chapter 4: Vous Me Tuez

“Shelby. Shelby, come on. Wake up.”

She opened her eyes, screwing them shut once again as the blinding streetlights poured over her face in the backseat. April was nudging her awake, stationed in the driver’s seat for some odd reason. She stretched awkwardly and turned over onto her side, palming her forehead.

“What?”

She cut the engine, Shelby not even realizing it’d been running the whole time until then, April turning back with a perky smile. “We’re home.”

Her brows creased in confusion. “What?”

“Well, _you’re_ home, anyway.”

It took her a few seconds to register what exactly she meant, still shocked at the fact that April was even behind the wheel to begin with. She bolted up quickly, her head whipping around frantically to find they were, indeed, parked just outside of Shelby’s garage.

“How the fuck did we get here?”

“You gave me your address,” April said simply. “You were still half-asleep, so, you know, it took a while. But I got it.”

She brought her hand back up to her face, her fingers twitching, the veins in her head bulging steadily at every nonchalant word coming out of April’s mouth.

“What?” Shelby repeated through her teeth.

The leather shifted as she gave a light shrug. “Most people have a GPS on their phones now, Shelby. It’s really not that hard to—“

“YOU DROVE MY FUCKING CAR?!”

“I mean, yeah,” she answered calmly. “I had to get you here somehow. You kept mumbling Rachel’s name over and over and you were dead to the fuckin’ world. So, I figured, why not?”

Her eyes didn’t leave April’s casual expression for a long time, the lax tone of her voice practically unnerving. “Are you _trying_ to get us arrested? Or killed, for fuck’s sake?! What’s wrong with you?”

“Honey, we’ve established this already. No matter how drunk I get, I’m still a better driver than you’ll ever hope to be.”

She passed a hand through her hair, leaning helplessly against the front seat. “You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me right now, man. I can’t even fuckin’ deal with this shit anymore.”

“Well, Jesus, I’m sorry—“

“No, no, no,” she leaned back, fixing her with a scornful look, sobriety slowly kicking in with her growing frustration. “ _I’m_ sorry. I’m sorry that after all this time, I was under the impression that we both would’ve grown up by now. I’m sorry I thought we would’ve moved past this idiocy by now. I’m sorry that I was a fucking idiot, yet a-fucking-gain.” Sharp pangs clutched her head then, the shrill of her voice reverberating painfully and pounding straight to her ears. She swore again and massaged her temples, tears forming at the back of her eyes.

“Hey, now. Take it easy,” she said gently, touching her shoulder. “You hit your head pretty hard.”

Shelby snatched away. “Correction: _you_ made me hit my fucking head!” Christ, she didn’t even want to imagine what her face looked like at the moment, now mentally collected enough to realize it actually hurt to open one eye, a throbbing pain evident in her lower lip. She ran her tongue over it and winced.

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

“God, how the hell do you expect us to get back now?” She took a minute to examine herself, jeans pulled halfway down her legs, her top and bra still pushed messily up to her chin. She scanned the dimly lit street, relieved no one else was out at this hour, before hurriedly readjusting herself.

“Back where? To the bar?”

“Where the _fuck_ else?”

“Why would we go back now?”

“To get back to your car. What do you think? Did you ever stop and think about that? I can’t drive you there myself right now and I’m sure as shit not letting you touch my fucking keys again. So, now what?”

She smiled innocently. “I can always walk back, Shelbs. It ain’t that big of a deal.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah, sure. You gonna go hitchhiking back to the interstate? That’ll take you, what, another four hours?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go _that_ far, but—“

“No, you’re right. You wouldn’t get that far at all. You’re a fucking twig! You’d probably fall in a goddamn ditch somewhere…”

One brow shot up in reproach. “That was below the belt. I resent that. I may be small, but I’m sturdier than you think.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’ve gotta go to work in the morning. What the fuck am I even doing? What time is it, anyway?”

“A little after two. Why?”

She breathed out a sigh of relief, grateful she’d be able to get more sleep than she expected. Not much, but still…. “Where do you live, anyway?”

She bit her lip. “Well…”

“Stop it. God, please just stop fucking around and tell me. I already have a headache.”

She hesitated, nervously rubbing the back of her neck. “I’ve, uh, kinda been crashing in the car for the past couple of nights.” She caught the strained look on Shelby’s face and rushed to explain. “Just until I can pay for a hotel again.”

She stared back long and hard, mystified that April hadn’t mentioned it at least once before. “You’re serious?”

“It’s a temporary solution. It’s not so bad. I’ve done it before.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her shoulders lifted. “It’s not really something you tell people easily. Plus, it didn’t really cross my mind until now.”

 _How convenient, right?_ God, what she would’ve given for a bottle of JD and bleach right about then.

She was just about ready to give April an earful once again, her mind reeling at work. Given their rocky history, it would’ve been so easy to tell her to fuck off somewhere else, leave her wandering the streets alone. Then again, after their little backseat excursion, she wasn’t so sure it would’ve been easy after all. Truth be told, their reunion hadn’t been nearly as catastrophic as she’d previously expected. Minus the injuries to her face, at least. Even so, misguided as she often was, April had at least tried to help. Still, the cynical side of her couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she did ultimately choose to toss her to the streets. If she was still as impulsive as Shelby remembered, there was no telling what would happen once her back was turned.

_Fuck her! Call the goddamn cops._

Still, there was more to consider beyond that. Suppose something happened to her on the way back, as it very likely would? Could she really stand to live with herself if April wound up on the news the next day, knowing she’d deliberately put her in harm’s way? Perhaps, it wasn’t necessarily her problem anymore, but it made her feel scummy nonetheless.

April waved a hand in her face. “You alright, there?”

She frowned, searching deep within herself.

_Fuckin’ pussy. Quit monologuing and fucking do something!_

Her shoulders drooped as she pushed open the door. “Come on.”

“Wait, what?”

“I said, come on.”

April got out to join her on the pavement. “You don’t mean—“

“April! Jesus Christ! Come the fuck on before I change my mind!” Her fingers flew up to find the pulse point in her head again, her voice carrying down under the bleak streetlamps.

She could’ve sworn she saw April’s eyes water. “Y-you sure?”

She softened, faltering at the crack in her own voice. “Yes. I’ll take you back tomorrow. But I need to sleep, first.”

She choked back her tears, searching for the right words as she handed over the keys. “Thanks, Shelby. It means a lot.”

A light smile crept into her lips as she locked the car before spinning towards the front door. “Don’t thank me just yet.”

She followed her wordlessly up the beaten path, Shelby flipping through for the right key as she waited in the dark. The lock was turned halfway when Shelby suddenly whirled on her with a livid, penetrating gaze.

“If you wake my daughter, touch her, or go anywhere near her room, I swear I’ll fucking kill you and throw you out. In that order. Do you understand?”

She quaked beneath her, swearing she’d never seen Shelby so protective and determined as she looked at the moment, motherhood clearly taking effect. “Got it,” she complied quietly.

She studied her for a moment, ensuring her words had fully sunk in before she led her in, the two of them creeping quietly up to the guest room and shuffling cautiously past Ray’s door on the way. She had no idea whether or not Rachel was even sleeping in there at all, as she often wandered off to the master bedroom more than anywhere else. Still, with April trailing close behind, she wouldn’t take any chances bumping around it. She pointed out where the restroom was down the hall and bid April goodnight with one last warning before turning in herself.

She beckoned for Rachel in the dark, frowning when she was met with absolute silence in return, fumbling blindly in the cold swallows of the bed. Much to her surprise, it was totally empty, save for one of Rachel’s t-shirts carelessly shed the night before. So, her daughter had opted to sleep in her own bed for the night instead of curling up and waiting for her here. But why? Then again, given her current state, she wasn’t so sure that was a bad thing. Rachel had never once seen her mother even the slightest bit tipsy and she had virtually no idea how she would even go about explaining the new collection of bruises she was sure to find in the mirror later on. Her mouth stretched into a resolute yawn, her gaze flitting over to the alarm clock as she shirked her clothes onto the floor.

_Fuck it._

There’d be plenty of time to sort through it all in the morning. She was confident that April was still a heavy enough sleeper to avoid any disturbance or outrage she knew Rachel would likely stir up after having a look at her face. She would just have to take extra care to usher her out of the house early enough to afford her some time to rouse April and drive her back before work. As long as Rachel didn’t bump into her on the way out, everything would be fine. Hopefully.

She swished and rinsed her mouth a couple of times before sliding under the sheets.

***

A thundering crash came from downstairs, jolting her awake.

_Fuck’s sake! What is it, now?_

She squinted over at the clock, scratching her head and grumbling incoherently to herself. She’d barely been out for two hours. What could possibly be going on at this ungodly hour? She rose like the dead and tugged on the first clean shirt she could find before padding out and wandering to the guest room.

“April, I swear, if you broke _fucking_ anything…”

She pushed open the door, April dozing soundly under the covers, one arm hanging haphazardly over the side of the bed. She chuckled under her breath, the image endearing even to her sleep addled mind. She quietly shut the door behind her and made her way over to Rachel’s room next. Poor thing. She’d probably just had another night terror and knocked something over upon waking up. A precarious bump and scuffle from below hooked her ears as she turned the knob halfway. She stopped and swallowed heavily past the nervous lump in her throat.

Slowly, careful not to let a single creak come from the door, she poked her head in, her blood running cold. Ordinarily, she would’ve been relieved at seeing her daughter sleep so peacefully. Now, she was forced to wonder. If it wasn’t her or April scuttling around downstairs, then who?

She hurried over and shook her awake. “Ray. Rachel, wake up.”

At the sound of her name, she slowly came to, barely awake enough to comprehend who was standing in front of her. “Huh?”

Rougher than she rightfully meant to, Shelby took firm hold of her arms and hefted her up to eye level, shaking her again. “Rachel,” she repeated in a hoarse whisper. “You need to get up.”

Her eyes shot fearfully open, the sound of her mother’s voice snapping her forcefully out of her dream state. With an alarmed little shriek, she leapt out of Shelby’s grasp, gathering the sheets to her bare chest. “Mommy?!”

For a split second, she was thrown off, unsure of what made Rachel want to cover herself up now considering she’d seen her in a state of undress and beyond more times than she could count. All the more puzzling was how she searched fretfully around them, almost as if she were desperate to hide something. No matter. There was little to no time to worry about it now with far more pressing concerns awaiting her downstairs.

“Ray,” she said gently, “baby, I need you to stay up here, okay?”

“Why?” she asked, temporarily forgetting the trouble she’d gotten herself into and sensing the rising panic in her mother’s voice. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I’m gonna go check downstairs right quick. If I’m not back in ten minutes, call the police. Do you understand?”

At the given implication in her mother’s words, her stomach fell, panic rushing up into her throat at the possibilities. Either Quinn was secretly hiding under the bed this whole time or she was the reason behind whatever commotion had erupted downstairs and spooked her mother in the process. She couldn’t decide what was worse: the fact that Shelby would eventually discover Quinn was there or the faint possibility that there actually was an intruder lurking around somewhere.

There was little time to think as Shelby pulled away and started towards the door. “Mommy,” she called after her. “Shelby, wait.”

“Shh. It’ll be okay. Just remember what I said. And do not leave this room, understand? I’ll try to make it back as soon as I can.”

She disappeared down the hall, frantically hunting down the first handy blunt object she could find, Rachel staring helplessly after her. She waited until her mother was carefully out of earshot before springing out of bed and shutting the door, darting back to switch on the bedside lamp. She peeked under the bed and into the closet, even behind the bureau, all in vain. Her friend was nowhere to be found. She clumsily tugged on a loose pair of pajamas, waiting for her mother’s footfalls to pass her door before tiptoeing over to the bathroom. At the sound of Shelby’s feet creeping steadily down the stairs she ducked her head in, careful not to turn on the overhead light.

“Quinn,” she whispered harshly into the dark, snatching open the shower curtain lest she be hidden there. Finding nothing, she all but ran back to her room to double check. “Quinn!” Still, nothing. A deafening scream rang in her ears, one she recognized all too well. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit—“

***

Shelby made her way stealthily down the stairs, a wooden hairbrush held firmly in her grasp. Upon reaching the last step, she peeked around the corner, scanning the living room for anything suspicious. Then, a light thump sounded from the kitchen, the scrape of glass skimming along the hardwood floor. She fought to control her breathing, her stomach plunging with each step she took towards awaiting danger. Fuck, why didn’t she tell Rachel to wait five minutes instead of ten?! Or at least have the sense to call the goddamn cops before venturing off on some half-cocked scheme to wrangle with whomever was in her house at this hour?

_If you die… well. Well, that’s just it, Corcoran. You suck and you’ll continue to suck for always and eternity._

She slithered past the baby grand, between the couch and easy chair, pressing her back to the adjacent wall. The familiar sound of the fridge door being opened caught her ears, the soft amber light bathing the wood and skirting past her feet. She steadied herself, thanking her lucky stars that from her vantage point, the intruder’s back was turned. The faint mussing through various plastic and glass containers gave her the few seconds she needed to adjust her grip on the brush, count down from ten.

_You can either bash this motherfucker in now, or just stand here and kindly wait for him to kill you. Choice is yours._

Without wasting another minute, she dashed around the corner, the brush raised high over her head, totally unprepared for the blood-curdling scream that pierced her ears, much less the voice she recognized that followed. She held back to examine the figure hunched over on the floor beneath her, a pair of defensive arms locked over a dainty blonde head.

Without looking up, the person in question wrung her hands, collecting her breathing. “Berry, you scared the _shit_ out of me! I don’t know what your deal is, but…”

She lowered her stance and flipped on the lights overhead, confirming her suspicions. Sure enough, there, down on hands and knees, knelt a startled Quinn Fabray, clad in Rachel’s old _Wicked_ tee and surrounded by broken shards of glass, liquid pooled around her.

Finally, she looked up, the color draining her face. “Miss Corcoran?”

“Quinn, what are you—“

“Shelby, stop!” Rachel’s voice carried behind them as she bolted downstairs, halting at the last step when she spotted what lay ahead of her.

Shelby’s head flicked over in her direction. “Ray? What—“

Quinn rose to her feet. “Miss Corcoran, wait. I can—“

“Quinn—“

“Rachel—“

“Shelby—“

“Rocky!” April’s jingling voice trilled behind them. All sets of eyes flew over to her keeled over in laughter halfway down the stairs. “You should’ve seen your fuckin’ faces,” she chuckled, clapping her hands, totally oblivious to the death glare Shelby sent her across the room.

In the midst of confusion, they finally looked to each other, mother and daughter sharing twin looks of horror, guilt and something else neither could clearly make out. Hurt? Betrayal? Neither felt totally justified given the circumstances. There was no mistaking where the red and blue splotches marring their necks and chests had come from. Shelby searched intently for the dark scrutinizing pools of her eyes, a new wave of expressions crossing Rachel’s features as her gaze traveled over the newly minted bruises on her mother’s face.

She switched her attention back to April on the stairs, a fire lit behind her eyes as she put the pieces together. It didn’t make sense. She hadn’t seen this woman in over a year and a half. How the hell had she managed to end up in Shelby’s house, especially at this hour? She thought back morbidly to the conversation they’d had months before, her blood freezing over at the revelation. When her mother had mentioned an April, she couldn’t have possibly meant this one, though the smeared lipstick and swollen lips told an entirely different story.

“You,” she said, finding her voice, one finger crooked in her direction, catching April slightly off guard. “You’re the one who got Kurt drunk.”

Shelby’s gaze flickered back and forth between them. She didn’t want to believe the vague possibility that April had met her daughter before, but alas, she had. And judging from the look Rachel gave her, their meeting hadn’t been a pleasant one. Even April, drunk as she was, seemed to match Shelby’s confusion, almost as if she’d never expected to see Rachel again and certainly not in this given scenario.

She studied Shelby’s injuries once again, a bright flush of rage discoloring her cheeks. “What did you do?”

“Rachel,” Shelby hardened her voice, Rachel’s feet carrying her closer to the staircase, April making no move to defend herself.

April propped lazily up against the railing, seemingly unmoved, if not a little amused, by Rachel’s anger. Shelby couldn’t tell if it was out of inebriated stupidity or if all the little scraps they’d gotten into years before had simply made her jaded. Perhaps, there was something in Rachel at that moment that mirrored her own voracity from way back when, brought that mischievous glint back into April’s eyes. Then, came that slow, deliberate smile, one Shelby had long since grown immune to but appeared to throw Rachel off kilter.

“What did you do to her?” she repeated, April’s broadening smile fueling the venom in her voice.

“Rachel—“

She paid her mother no mind, ready to make her ascent. “What the hell are you even doing here?”

“Rachel! That’s enough!” she barked, eyes cinched shut in pain, the veins in her head throbbing at full force.

It was a start in her eyes, the dangerous edge in her mother’s voice commanding her to a full stop. Shelby very rarely snapped at her, her biting tone hurting more than ever now that she’d been caught. Shelby, for her part, was shocked at her own outburst, flinching internally at the feel of all pairs of eyes swiveling on her. She exhaled sharply and opened her eyes, Rachel’s pained expression soon making her want to shut them again.

“Now is not the time. I can assure you,” she said sternly, willing off the impulse to take her baby into her arms.

Her mouth opened in protest, the sharp look in her mother’s eyes effectively cutting her off. Her heart lurched into her throat, head lowering submissively to the ground.

She turned back to the ever silent Quinn. “What were you doing?”

She looked to Rachel for help, to April hanging onto the rails, anywhere to avoid that scolding gaze. With a nervous fidget, she sidestepped the broken glass at her feet. “I was just coming down for a drink. I didn’t mean to…” she trailed off, gesturing to the mess she’d made. Suddenly aware she’d come down in a t-shirt and nothing else, she reached to yank down the hem as far as it would go past her hips, squirming with effort. “I’ll clean it up, I swear,” she added, her assurance doing nothing to ease the tension. Her shoulders slumped over in defeat. “I should go.”

“Stop,” Shelby ordered before she had the chance to scuttle away. “Does your mother know you’re here?”

She gave a hasty nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

She raised a motherly eyebrow. “Does she know you spent the night?”

She didn’t need an answer this time, the torn look in Quinn’s eyes instantly giving her away. The girl’s lips folded inward, her baleful gaze meeting the floor.

“Just go back upstairs,” Shelby sighed wearily, cupping her forehead. “I’m not gonna make you go back at this hour.”

Her jaw hung open, eyes finally meeting Shelby’s in disbelief. “You want me to go back upstairs?”

“Well, you had no problem doing that before, did you?” she replied tersely, unable to suppress the bitchy edge creeping into her tone. “Just go back and get some sleep. You both have school in the morning.”

“I can drive her home,” April chirped behind them.

“You’re drunk. Go back to sleep,” Shelby deadpanned.

“…or I can do that!” She turned and ambled away.

“I can still clean up,” Quinn offered meekly.

“I’ll deal with it later. You might hurt yourself. Go on, now. Back to bed.”

She scampered away without another word, Rachel moving to follow.

“You,” she bit out, stilling her daughter’s movements, motioning with a perfect knife hand towards the front door. “Outside. Now.”

Unaccustomed to Shelby’s coldness, her stomach fell, face contorted with an odd mixture of fear, anger and guilt. She threw Quinn an apologetic glance over her shoulder and shuffled away, bitter tears brewing behind her eyes. Once she heard the door shut, Shelby ushered Quinn off one last time before fetching a broom and dustpan. She waited impatiently for Rachel’s door to close as she worked, wanting to be sure she would have absolute privacy with the crying girl out on the porch. Another minute passed as she dumped the mess in the trash and washed her hands, Rachel’s door having yet to close. She groaned irritably and strode over to the foot of the stairs, clearing her throat and conjuring up the most authoritarian voice she could muster.

“Good _night_ , Quinn.”

One nervous squeak of surprise and a shaky farewell in return, and the nosy blonde was up and away, the door finally shutting after her. She waited a few beats, ensuring she would stay in bed before stalking off towards the front door. Once she’d made it out, Rachel pounced on her so quickly she barely had time to close the door.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed brokenly. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. We were just practicing and then—“

“Shh. Calm down, princess. It’s alright,” she soothed, arms circling her waist, any pretense of anger and resentment falling away as her daughter’s tears washed her neck. “I told you I wouldn’t mind. I wasn’t happy about finding her in my house at three in the morning, but…”

Their bodies shook with laughter, Shelby’s own tears wetting the top of her head as she combed her fingers through Rachel’s hair.

“I meant to take her back earlier,” Rachel rushed to explain, drawing back slightly to dry her eyes. “I fell asleep.”

She swiped her thumb over the stray tears sliding down a pair of rosy cheeks. “It’s alright. Did she at least text her mother? Something?” After all the commotion she’d faced within the past twelve hours, the last thing she needed was a concerned parent beating down her door anytime soon.

She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

“Tell me the truth. Did she at least tell her where she was?”

“Yeah, she did. She told me herself.”

“And you’ve been here this whole time? You didn’t go anywhere else?”

“Yeah,” she nodded earnestly. “I got our sheet music and we just came straight here. I swear.” She moved in closer, cupping and inspecting the left side of her mother’s face, Shelby grimacing at graze of fingers over her eye. ”Mommy, what happened?”

“It’s nothing,” she murmured, looking away. Heaven knows she’d said that more than enough in her time with April. There was no telling how much makeup she’d be forced to pour on later that morning.

Rachel felt her temper spike as she remembered the unwanted visitor sleeping inside. “Was it her?”

At the daunting change in her daughter’s voice, she smiled tenderly, clasping her hand and bringing her nimble fingers to her lips. “Calm down, sweetness. I’m alright. Believe me, I’ve had worse.” She grinned as Rachel paled in horror. “Much, much worse,” she punctuated with a light kiss to her forehead.

She sulked down at her mother’s feet, her anger subsiding as she allowed herself to be pulled further into Shelby’s embrace. It wasn’t until then that she noticed something else was off besides Shelby’s disheveled appearance. A light breeze drifted over them, the bitter rank of menthols and cheap beer wafting from her mother’s hair and straight to her nose.

Her face twisted in disgust. “Are you…?” God, she couldn’t even finish. It was much too hard to believe. Shelby almost never let loose in front of her, not to this extent.

“A little, yes,” she answered, now wary of her breath, rolling her eyes as Rachel buried her face into her shoulder in a fit of giggles.

“And on a school night,” she teased, privately relieved she wasn’t the only one in trouble. "I should call the police.”

“I’d love to see you try,” she quipped with a light tap to her ass.

Rachel’s head tilted back, lips parted, waiting for her to close the distance. Without pause, she obliged, any reservations they’d previously had before melting away with one touch. Shelby was the first to break away, their eyes meeting, both startled by how quickly they reverted back to their old ways.

“What do we do now?” Rachel said, folding her head over Shelby’s shoulder, fatigue settling over them once again. And more importantly, she thought privately, where did this leave them now? Was tonight just a one-time deal or just the beginning of the end for them? God, it sounded so dramatic in her head, but the implications were all too real.

_I go to hell and you, my sweet, will be fine and dandy in New York._

She wet her lips apprehensively, knowing full well Rachel would broach the subject sooner or later. “You,” she began, pushing Rachel’s hair behind her ears and looking her square in the eye, “will go back upstairs and get some sleep. You still have a duet tomorrow, right?”

She caught her lower lip between her teeth, their oncoming assignment the farthest thing from her mind. ”I mean, yeah, but—“

“Good,” Shelby said without waiting for a reply. “We’ll worry about the rest later.” She caught the worry in Rachel’s eyes and sighed. “We still have school, Ray. Now’s really not the time.” With one last peck to her forehead, she pulled away, tearing herself away from Rachel’s pleading gaze.

She sputtered as she left her alone under the porch light burning overhead. She clutched her arms protectively around herself, the cool night air sending chill bumps up and down her arms. “Shelby, please…”

She pivoted back with a wan smile, much too tired to engage. The day had been long enough as it is. They’d have the rest of the week to hash it out. “I’m not angry with you, sweetie. I promise. We can talk later. Just get some sleep, okay?” She turned and left, quietly shutting the door after herself.

Rachel’s body rocked with sobs, her mother’s own tears forming on the other side of the door without her knowing. After two years of constant cajoling and comfort on her part, reassuring Shelby of her feelings for her, how had she managed to fuck it all up within such little time? Whether Quinn wanted something else out of this, she had no idea, but one thing was abundantly clear. Things would never be the same between her and Shelby ever again.

Reluctantly, she returned to bed, thankful that Quinn had fallen asleep in her absence. She didn’t think she could handle the arsenal of questions she undoubtedly had ready for her. She huddled her knees to her chest, face burrowed deep in one of her pillows, stifling her tears as best she could before passing out from sheer exhaustion.

***

They woke a few short hours later, rousing April and Quinn and dragging them along through their morning routine. Shelby detoxed with a crisp cold shower, examining her face for the first time in the mirror before giving up and piling on foundation. It wouldn’t do much good. As per usual, it never did. The bruise was one thing, but now blood rimmed the iris, spilling over to the white of her left eye, her lip swelling angrily around the open split close to the corner of her mouth.

A low growl of frustration rumbled at the back of her throat. God, she had half a mind to just stay at home once she drove April back. She wasn’t even remotely in the mood to explain herself to Figgins and, least of all, Will. Having the kids stare at her all damn day would be a pain in the ass enough as it is. She spotted April undressing in her reflection, shooting her a sheepish smile before climbing into the shower herself. She scowled back and reached for her lipstick, resolving to bring a bottle of mace the next time she went out.

A few doors down, Rachel opted to have Quinn join her in the shower, neither attempting to be sexual, but rather desperate to conserve time and water. She dressed silently as Rachel rouged her lips and cheeks in the mirror, giving a slight pout over neglecting to bring her own makeup the day before. Rachel couldn’t help the playful smirk she delivered through her reflection, seeing Quinn so fresh faced a first of many as of late.

She flounced her way downstairs, her usual perk semi restored after the conundrum the night before, pausing in the living room as the smoky fumes of coffee gravitated towards her. Quinn prodded her back gently, pushing her ahead to avoid the brunt of the oncoming lecture she knew enough to expect. She swallowed thickly, her mother’s quiet humming from the kitchen doing little to ease her nerves.

Things couldn’t get much worse from here, bedding her friend one minute and undoubtedly breaking Shelby’s heart the next. That worried her more than the trouble of having Quinn stay so late without her permission. She didn’t even want to imagine what was waiting for her once Quinn was gone. She’d either face confinement until graduation or be permanently banned from the master bedroom, the latter much worse than the former.

Finding her resolve, she followed her mother’s voice into the kitchen, barely noticing as Quinn hung back behind the adjacent wall. She half expected to be met with a raised brow or cold dismissal, shocked when she found Shelby leaning casually against the counter and finishing off her first mug, fingers drumming contentedly against the wooden surface. Her back tensed as Shelby’s eyes found hers, a surge of relief passing through her as Shelby offered a familiar bright smile, warming her all over. Barely restraining herself from bounding over and pummeling her with a hug, she strode over and reached for the mug.

“Any more left for me?” she said, bouncing up to give her a customary morning peck on the cheek.

“Not today, you brat,” Shelby teased, batting her away. “I need it more than you do, right now. Trust me.”

She returned a cheeky grin, happy to know things were still somewhat normal between them in spite of everything. She glanced over to the empty table. “You want me to make breakfast?”

She rifled through her purse and slid a few bills over. “I was thinking you two could head over to the Lima Bean or something. I’ve got a few things to take care of before I go.”

Her brows furrowed as Shelby’s chin lifted toward the stairs. Then, it dawned on her. “Oh.”

A light shuffle of movement sounded from the living room, Shelby’s eyes cutting over to the quiet blonde peeking out nervously from behind the wall. Puzzled, Rachel followed her gaze and froze, suddenly remembering her own bit of unfinished business. Silently cursing herself for daring to be discovered, Quinn slowly emerged from the dark, back hunched, a walking caricature ripped straight from a _Scooby-Doo_ episode. Shelby could’ve laughed. There was little use in running and hiding now. Not after last night.

“Ray, sweetie,” she beckoned, warm and sugary sweet, eyes never leaving the guilty hazel orbs staring uneasily back at her. “Would you do me a favor and get my bag upstairs? It should be right by the bed.”

Afraid as she was of bumping into April on the way up, Rachel skittered away, eager to oblige and remain in her mother’s good graces. Quinn blanched as she whooshed straight past her, leaving her alone with the scary woman just a few feet away. Without thinking, she darted quickly towards the door, Shelby sidestepping and blocking her path with ease.

“I really should go,” she sputtered, eyes lowering back to the floor.

“Oh, you will,” came Shelby’s cool assurance. “But you’re gonna listen to me, first.”

She backed away, Shelby advancing on her with every move. “Shelby, please, I—“ she broke off as those hard green eyes flared above her, swiftly reverting back to all formalities. “Miss Corcoran, I’m sorry.”

“If you hurt her, you will be.”

“I—wait. Wait, what?” She stumbled back blindly, searching desperately for anything to hold onto as she edged closer.

“I will tell you this one time. As long as you are with my daughter, you will treat her with nothing but dignity and respect. Do you understand?”

Finally scrounging up the courage to meet her gaze, Quinn stood perplexed, helplessly searching for the right words. “Miss Corcoran, I—“

“If you think I’m ignorant to any of the stunts you pulled before I got here, you are dead wrong. If I find out that you’ve been hurting her or that this was all a damn joke to you the entire time, I promise you will regret it.”

She blinked a few times, questioning if this was all a dream. “You... you think I’m—“

“Look,” she sighed, lightly massaging her forehead, “you seem like a good kid. You’ve obviously had some time to grow up since I first met you and I really hope you’ve changed. Ray seems to like you enough. I’ve got no problem with you being with her. But, I swear,” she warned, backing her dangerously into the counter, Quinn shriveling beneath her, “if you do anything to hurt my little girl, or throw so much as one slushy, I will personally find you and run your ass into the ground. Do I make myself clear?”

Quinn felt her knees buckle, unsure of whether to argue or pretend to go along with it. She felt her palms grow sweaty around her grip of the counter, their current position catching her somewhere between terror and something else she didn’t want to place any labels on. Shelby’s ebony clad form towering over her, more dark and imposing than she’d ever seen her in any Troubletones rehearsal, did little to aid the heat low in her belly, the aftereffects of her recent encounter with Rachel still evident. Of course, she never would’ve cared to admit it.

She’d done everything to avoid Rachel’s lingering suspicion every time this woman had come into conversation at the slightest turn. As much as she loved Rachel and even enjoyed their session the night before, there was still very much another pressing object of her affection as of late. Aw, fuck. Who was she kidding? She’d shared a spot at the forefront of her mind about as long as Rachel had. Hiked up against the counter, she certainly couldn’t deny it anymore. She had half a mind to speak her mind, then, inopportune of a time as it was. Neither mother or daughter would’ve heard her out or accepted it, of course but….

Shelby’s throat cleared expectantly, tearing her out of her obsessive inner monologue. She lifted her eyes again, her insides quaking and trembling at the sight of that perfectly sculpted brow raised in warning.

She gave a robotic nod of understanding, practically weak at the knees. “Yes, ma’am.”

Shelby waited, hoping her words registered deep, oblivious to the growing tremor she’d unwillingly brought between the girl’s knees.

“Good,” she said, tone clipped and short, finally drawing back to allow her some space to breathe and process everything. She wasn’t quite done yet. “And as long as we’re on campus, I expect you both to conduct yourselves appropriately. I won’t have you debauching yourselves before graduation.” She concluded the last half under her breath, tugging a light smile into her lips, Quinn oddly touched over her concern for not one, but both of them.

Rachel came running back then, emptyhanded and confused. “I couldn’t find anything. I’m sorry.”

Shelby pivoted, flashing her a warm smile, the authoritarian, hard-ass demeanor dwindling away in a heartbeat. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I’ll find it later.”

“You sure?” Rachel said, head cocked to the side, painfully oblivious. “I can always go back and look again.”

Shelby only grinned with a dismissive wave. Rachel wouldn’t have found the damn thing anywhere in the house anyway. She remembered well enough that it had been sitting in the front seat of the Range Rover the entire time.

“I’ll find it, sweetheart. Believe me,” she said, switching her gaze over to the girl still rooted flush against the counter. Perhaps it had been wrong to try and intimidate her. Still, she felt the need to impress upon her the fact that her daughter wasn’t meant to be toyed with. “You two go on and get something to eat.” She pressed a twenty into Quinn’s palm for good measure.

“I think you already gave me some money—“

“You can use the rest for dinner, then. Just in case I don’t make it back early enough. Go on, now. I’ll see you at school, okay?”

Quinn took the hint and whisked away toward the door, barely concealing the blush suffusing her neck and cheeks. As she went, Shelby caught a whiff of Rachel’s body wash lingering on her skin, her nose wrinkling as she felt her body react to the familiar scent. Without meaning to, she found herself staring after Quinn’s disappearing back, catching her wits and rolling her eyes. God, she needed to get the fuck out of there. The day was bound to be long enough as is.

Rachel snatched up her bag and keys, turning to retrieve their long forgotten sheet music before heading out. She still had no earthly idea how she and Quinn would be able to perform now with any amount of seriousness, but it was worth a shot. She paused halfway to lean in for a kiss, trusting that Quinn was well out of earshot to let her lips hover over Shelby’s for a little bit longer.

“Get to school on time,” she murmured as they pulled away.

Rachel shrugged before striding off, missing the feel of her mother’s lips all too soon, knowing full well they’d still have to talk about what happened at some point later on. “We’ll see,” she returned with a perky grin.

Shelby watched her go, waiting for the car to ease out and peel off down the road before racing upstairs to find April.

***

The ranger slowed to a crawl up the dense gravel leading up behind the tavern, a lone baby blue bug perched just up ahead.

“I take it that’s yours?”

April hummed in affirmation, digging through her purse for the keys.

She swung over and parked alongside it, climbing out to stretch her legs before heading off to work. She twisted her head to side as the passenger door slammed shut behind her. “You decent?”

“Good as I’ll ever be, I guess,” she yawned, scratching the back of her head. She came around to join her on the driver’s side, beaming up at her. “Thank you, again, Shelby. It really means a lot what you did.”

She nodded curtly, eager to leave as quickly as possible. “It’s no problem. Just be careful.”

“Oh, I will,” she said, lighting a cigarette. “Trust me.” She moved to offer Shelby one as well, surprised when she readily accepted. Perhaps it was bound to be a hell of a day for both of them. They tipped back against the door, eyes coasting along the dusky horizon.

“Where will you go from here?”

“Oh, honey, I’ve got plenty of friends, plenty of places to go. I’ll be alright. The car’s cozier than you think. A lot better than what I’m used to.”

“So, you’re okay?”

“More than okay. Trust me, I’m in a lot better shape than I was before.”

She took another puff, staring pensively at a scratched coin on the ground. “Not sure if I believe you, but okay.” She checked her phone for the time, leaning down to stomp out the rest. “I’ll take your word for it.”

April finished off her own in no time, flicking the bud carelessly off to the side. “It was really nice catching up with you, Shelby.”

She gave a half smirk. “You as well.”

“No, really,” she insisted. “I know you probably didn’t really enjoy yourself all that much, but I’m really glad we could do this. You know, without…”

“Without it being a total train wreck this time?” Shelby finished off, laughing in spite of herself.

“Something like that, yeah,” she grinned back.

“Well, minus what happened to my face, I suppose I can agree.”

She winced. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean for that to happen. If you need to go to the doctor or anything, let me know. I’ll pay for it.”

“That won’t be necessary.” She hadn’t needed it for all those years and she certainly didn’t need it now. She changed the subject before her temper had the chance to flare. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well, though. I know it hasn’t been easy.”

“It hasn’t,” she admitted. “But it’s been getting better. That’s about all I can ask for right now.” She remembered something else. “I, uh, hope I didn’t scare your little girl back there.”

“She’ll be fine. She’s tough,” she chuckled, looking to her phone again. “You good from here?”

“Yeah, I’m alright. Thanks.”

They fell silent, holding each other’s gaze for a few long moments before leaning in to embrace, Shelby’s body growing loose at the contact. It didn’t feel nearly as bad as she’d come to expect. For once, she hadn’t felt the need to throttle her.

“Take care of yourself, okay?” And she meant every word.

She raised her head to kiss her cheek, Shelby returning the favor before pulling away. “You too, honey. And hey,” she jabbed a playful, warning finger in her direction, “if we bump into each other again and you still haven’t earned your red wings by then, I will personally beat your ass. I’ve got your number now, so don’t expect to get away this time.”

Shelby groaned with a hard roll of her eyes, enough to make her head hurt all over again. “And when that day comes, if you’re not at least six months sober, I will gladly do the same.”

“And if we see each other sooner than that, then what? You’ve got nothin’ on me!”

She climbed behind the wheel with a salutary nod. “Bye, April.”

She gave one last wave, moving to unlock her own car as Shelby tore off towards the interstate. Suddenly remembering what April had just said, she banged her fist into the steering wheel. “Fuck, now I need another goddamn phone…”

***

Rachel was transferring books to her locker when Quinn sidled up next to her, her stony expression enough to throw her off guard.

She offered a wary smile. “You ready?” Their duet was set for next period, neither feeling entirely optimistic about it, Rachel about ready to just bolt out at the last minute.

Quinn said nothing, face unreadable.

She inclined her head. “You alright?”

She finally opened her mouth to speak, hesitating and biting her lip. “So, I think your mom thinks we’re going out or something.”

She pursed her lips to keep from laughing, wondering just what had happened in her absence that morning. “Does she, now?”

“Yeah,” she answered slowly. “Look, we—“

“Q, it’s okay. I can talk to her myself later on. I didn’t mean for her to scare you or anything.”

Quinn gave a derisive snort. “I’m not scared! Why would you—“ She caught the knowing look in Rachel’s eyes before giving her an indignant scowl. “Look, Corcoran came after me with a hairbrush, for fuck’s sake. I’m not gonna forget about that anytime soon.”

“Oh, my god. She didn’t even know you were there. She probably just flipped out.”

“Whatever. Look, just,” she glanced around them, leaning in closer. “Don’t get me wrong, I had fun last night but—“

“Here we go…”

“Shut up. I had a good time. Great time. But…”

“You’ve got thirty seconds.”

“I will murder you!” She grumbled at the smug grin that played over Rachel’s lips, taking a breath to compose herself. “You’re my friend,” she stated slowly, “I care about you. I love you. But I’d rather, you know, _not_ have Corcoran try to kill me.”

“God, what did she say to you? Was it that bad?”

“I can’t have her hate me. Alright?” At Rachel’s inquisitive gaze, she faltered. “And I don’t want you to hate me either, but... we can’t do that anymore.”

Rachel stared straight past her shoulder, watching Shelby’s form ghost down the hall and disappear into one of the classrooms. Her mind trailed off after the first half of Quinn’s little diatribe, at first unable to see why it seemed so important how Shelby felt towards her at all. Then, it finally came to her, her lips curving into an odd smirk Quinn didn’t understand. Maybe she hadn’t been wrong in her previous assumptions after all. Though it should’ve made her angry, tempted her to cut all ties with Quinn, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Quinn’s nerves seemed on edge. “Rachel…”

She shook her head, shutting her locker and hooking her hand into the blonde’s arm. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

She stopped short, unsure of where they were going and whether Rachel had even heard a single word she said. “What?” 

She shrugged innocently. “The assignment.” A gentle tug of her hand and Quinn strode up and linked their arms, smiling as Rachel gave her a reassuring bump of her shoulder.

There’d be plenty of time to sort through her confirmed suspicions later, discuss them with Shelby at a much later time than that. For now, it was enough of a relief knowing she could still hold onto her friend after a day’s worth of idiocy. Whether she’d be able to hold onto her mother, in the way she wanted best, was a separate issue altogether. The sudden reality that she might be forced to stay in her own room permanently from then on suddenly filled her mind, how cold and withdrawn Shelby might become if she really suspected something else was going on between her and Quinn. She could think of nothing else, even as Mr. Shue prattled on about the unfinished set list for Nationals, even as they were called up for the first duet. Things might never be the same again.

Because of her.

***

The opening ballad had just barely begun when Shelby called them off again.

“Nope! Again,” she ordered over the chorus of shared grunts and groans erupting on stage.

“God, can we at least get through the first fucking song, please and thank you?” Santana remarked.

“Hey, remember that speech I gave, I don’t know, _months_ ago about not cursing while we’re up here? Unless you wanna run laps out back, I suggest you remember that. Once you guys stop sulking around like anorexic ragdolls, then we can keep going.” At the rate they were going, she had half a mind to give up and ask Finn to come and dance for them.

“Sorry,” Sugar chimed in, “but I don’t have much room to move with Brittany’s big feet stomping all around me.”

“ _Pinche putita_ …”

“Lopez, detention,” she snapped without missing a beat.

“Oh, come the fu—“

“Year’s almost over, sweetheart. If you don’t think I know what that means by now, you’ve got another thing coming.” She ignored the girl’s reddening face, turning her attention back to the rest moaning and grumbling away. “We’re starting again. I don’t wanna hear another word about it, understand? If anyone else has an issue, by all means, feel free to join Santana this afternoon. Is that clear?”

“A moment, please, Miss Corcoran?”

She jerked her head around to find Will coming halfway down the aisle, her face falling with an exasperated huff. Goddamn, she’d gotten through the first half of the day as peacefully as possible, though rehearsal with the girls was already beginning to drag. The last thing she needed was confrontation with Will to come along and fuck things up. Her head still splitting at having to raise her voice earlier, she motioned for everyone to take five before following him out. Much to her chagrin, Emma and Sharon stood waiting on the other side of the door.

“What’s going on?”

Will was the first to speak. “We’ve been meaning to ask you the same.”

“A couple of the boys were talking at practice earlier today,” Sharon said carefully. “Something about you getting beat up. Kinda scared them a bit.”

Shelby blinked. “I scare everyone. I don’t need a black eye to do that. What else is new? And what does it even matter? What happens to me is none of their business.” She threw Emma a hard stare, warding her off before she had the chance to push a pretty pink pamphlet into her hands. “Look, I’m really not in the mood to explain anything, guys. And I really have a lot of work to do, so if you please—“

“Shelby,” Will reached to touch her arm, Shelby flicking him impatiently away.

“I’m a grown ass woman,” she countered sharply, Will flinching and drawing back uneasily. “I can take care of myself just fine. I get it, you guys are trying to help, but trust me. I don’t need any of you to try and fix me right now, alright?” Her eyes narrowed pointedly at Will on that last note, privately relishing as he shrank back and shifted uncomfortably. She scoffed inwardly. It wouldn’t have surprised her in the least if he’d been the one to try and organize this little intervention. Sharing a few words of concern in private would’ve been one thing, but this was just downright meddling.

She took the silence that followed as a subtle confirmation of their understanding. “Great. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go back in there before they kill each other.”

Sharon issued a short gruff laugh. “You want me to at least walk you to your car? Does he know where you work?”

She emitted a mirthless chuckle, amazed at just how much April could make her relive their gory past after just one encounter in so many years. “I’ll be fine. I appreciate it, though.”

“Just let us know if you need anything,” Emma said, snagging Will’s elbow and leading him awkwardly away.

She swung open the door with a half-smile. “I will.” She wouldn’t. “Thanks again.”

***

A few hours later, she found herself scrubbing monotonously at the whiteboard as her last class filed out. She spied a quick glance at the clock over the door, thankful the day was almost over. To save herself from the full battery of questions or speculative gazes she’d expected, she’d opted to let the majority of her classes finish any outside assignments, read or even fiddle on their phones as long as they kept quiet. She refrained from standing at the front of the room for too long, having received more than enough questionable looks in the hallway and teacher’s lounge. Even the Troubletones seemed distracted by her gaunt, battered appearance, hindering their attention during rehearsal. She didn’t even want to imagine what Figgins’ reaction would be.

God, she could’ve killed April. The swelling wouldn’t go down completely for probably another week or so, the blood around her eye for much more than that. A swift knock at the door stole her attention, Santana filling the doorway.

_Fucking fabulous._

“What is it, Santana?”

She glowered. “You gave me detention. Again.”

She frowned, muttering an obscenity to herself. Up until then, she’d almost forgotten, much too focused on avoiding practically everyone the majority of the day. She shot a sideways look at the clock again. _Fuck it_. All the coffee and Excedrin in the world wouldn’t have helped her in dealing with a brooding Santana the rest of the afternoon.

“Go home,” she said without looking at her.

She scoffed, clearly taken aback. “What?”

She faced her then, the girl’s annoyed expression matching her own. “Do you really need me to say it again?”

“So, I basically just dragged my ass all the way over here for nothing?”

“Keep talking and I’ll hold you here tomorrow. I’m not in the mood. Now, go.” She trained her attention back to the board, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling at the same pair of eyes burning into her back. She dropped the eraser and spun around, dusting off her hands and planting them on her hips. “What?”

She half expected another snide, biting comment, surprised when those dark eyes, usually so full of menace, softened. “Okay, do I need to beat somebody up?”

At Shelby’s bemused look, she gestured towards her, tapping a finger to her own eye for emphasis. Shelby laughed softly, shocked at her concern, brash and out of place as it was.

“Not necessary, but thanks anyway.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I don’t need you pulling any more stupid stunts before Nationals.”

Her lips curled wryly, regaining some of her old spunk. “You said it yourself. Everyone else gets to suck at being human, then so can I.”

She smirked knowingly, nodding towards the door. “Drive safe. And hey,” her voice lowered sternly, “keep it civil in rehearsal from now on, understand? Even in Spanish. And absolutely no more baby oil. Otherwise, you and I will both suffer up here together. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she agreed with a slight roll of her eyes before slinking away down the hall.

***

Rachel didn’t come home that night. It was just as well. She supposed she should’ve seen it coming. She’d encouraged Rachel to gain a little bit of distance, branch out and move on to other people and she’d done just exactly that. She couldn’t explain, much less excuse, the wash of bitterness that came over her. She felt her heart wrench at the possibility of Rachel choosing to never come home again, swallowing back the persistent sob creeping at the back of her throat as she ate alone, worked alone, prepared to sleep alone.

Spotting Rachel’s old rumpled t-shirt tucked under the pillows, she took it up and held it close, her daughter’s warm, amber scent still clinging to the material. Tears stung the back of her eyes. She popped a couple of sleeping pills, sending Rachel a quick goodnight text before collapsing onto the bed, the start of her penance mercilessly close.

In spite of whatever her mother may have thought, Rachel, for her part, hadn’t distanced herself out of malice, but merely in attempt to give her a bit of space after the pain she’d knowingly inflicted. It seemed only fair to reduce the awkwardness of what happened. Even so, she still needed time to process her newfound knowledge of Quinn’s hidden feelings, even the sudden reappearance of April in both of their lives.

She considered how to broach either subject with Shelby, sharing a rare quiet dinner with her fathers, both stunned by her silence but unwilling to pry. After a while, they began to worry, hoping to remedy the situation with their age old tradition of singing around the piano afterwards, Rachel’s tension melting away with each reverberating chord. Once they finished, she carried on a bit of light conversation with them before hopping off to bed, surprised at how well she’d gotten over the shock of their being home to simply enjoy their company for once in a while.

She did her best to suppress the memories she’d made with her mother at her own piano, wriggling aimlessly in her childhood bed, the sheets cold and empty compared to the warm, inviting depths of Shelby’s master suite. She cried softly into her pillow, swearing it wouldn’t be this way for long. She’d make sure of it. She had to. She’d made a mess of things and it was time for her to fix it. Her phone blinked to life with a text from her mother. She grimaced, almost afraid to swipe and find a lecture waiting for her.

_Sleep well, princess. I love you. Please remember that._

She smiled sweetly and hugged her pillow tighter, nodding off with further determination to have everything worked out between them before the week was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of just imagined Shelby bumping around like there was a ghost in typing the first half...


	5. Caught Between Minuet and Larissa's Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunion time, motherf*ckers...

Chapter 5: Caught Between Minuet and Larissa’s Dragon

The following day carried on in a similar fashion on Shelby’s end, thankfully without any raging hormonal idiocy on Santana’s part and far less intrusive questions and strange looks over her face. Mercifully, she cut Troubletones rehearsal short for the afternoon, the girls happily rejoicing as she solemnly prepared to return to an empty house once again. Upon entering, she set to work bleaching the tub, shucking her clothes onto the floor and drawing herself a long overdue bath. Her phone vibrated against the bathroom counter, Shelby ready to ignore it until she noticed Rachel’s name flashing over the screen. Her heart fluttered as she swiped up.

_Is it okay if I come back tonight?_

She grinned and shook her head.

_Baby, you don’t even have to ask. Come on._

She took a few cool wipes to her face as the tub filled, the swelling purple of her eye glaring hatefully back at her as her makeup slowly came away. The sight alone gave her the sudden impulse to shove her fist straight through the mirror, swallow a few of the broken pieces if she could, if Rachel hadn’t been set to show up at any minute. She uttered a silent prayer that her face would clear before graduation before sinking gratefully into the water, tipping her head back without even caring to pin up her hair first. She let her eyes drift to the ceiling for a moment before closing, arms slung lazily over the side of the tub as the steam rose pleasantly over her head. It wasn’t long before a gentle rap came at the door.

“Well, that was fast,” she murmured with a languid smile.

Rachel stood passively against the doorframe, scratching the arch of her foot against her calf. “I didn’t feel like waiting. Dads left this morning, so…” She let her gaze travel over Shelby’s lax position, her mother’s face clouded over with fatigue. She grinned to herself. “You look tired as hell.”

She returned a conceding chuckle, finally opening her eyes with a jerking motion of her chin. “Come on over here, baby.”

Rachel obeyed, kneeling demurely beside the tub without touching her.

Shelby’s brows arched suggestively. “I mean, get in,” she remarked with a pointed nod, laughing as Rachel flashed her a wide grin before hurriedly shedding her clothes and climbing in with her help. She dropped into her lap in a burst of giggles, Shelby showering her with peppering kisses as Rachel’s arms came to wrap around her neck.

“I missed you,” she breathed, relaxing into Shelby’s embrace, happy to resume their earlier dynamics after one hell of a night.

“I missed you, too, princess,” she said, nuzzling her nose into Rachel’s neck and hair. “So much.”

They remained silent for what seemed a long time, simply basking in each other’s touch and staring absently at the little ripples made in the water as they moved. She drew back to pin up her mother’s hair, Shelby scooping up handfuls of water onto her back and shoulders. She bit her lip, deciding on how to tackle the elephant in the room.

“Do you hate me? For what happened?”

She shook her head, watching a trail of bubbles cascade down Rachel’s back as she lathered her up. “If she comes back, she has to be gone before eleven. Just until school’s over. I won’t have her mother worrying up and down Lima about her after hours.”

She smiled as she thought of something else. “What about April?”

“Oh, she’s not coming back,” Shelby said quickly. “God, no. Not at all.”

“You sure?”

“Baby, she had problems back then and she still has problems now, none that I’m equipped to deal with. Not anymore,” she said, adding that last bit to herself. “Anyway, she’s never coming back. I can promise you that.”

“It’s all good,” she shrugged. “Q’s not coming back, either.”

“Well, like I said, if she does, she just has to leave by a certain time. Besides that, I don’t mind.”

“She won’t,” Rachel insisted, the look of anguish on Shelby’s face that night still etched in her mind. “It was stupid of me to even bring her in the first place. I’m sorry.”

“Ray, it’s fine. You don’t have to be sorry for anything. Well, apart from scaring the hell outta me at three in the morning,” she said, nudging her playfully.

“It won’t happen again,” she pressed with absolute certainty.

Shelby could only nod, in no mood to argue or push Rachel any further over the subject. The week had been long enough for both of them. They washed in silence, taking a few long needed moments to just stop and nestle into each other before getting out. Rachel finished toweling off her hair when she felt strong arms engulf her in a swift bridal carry, shrieking as her feet were swept off the floor. Soon she was whisked off and into the master bedroom, overtaken with laughter as she was thrown onto the bed, Shelby’s lips locking her into a long, encompassing kiss.

God, how she missed that warm, shapely mouth. “And here I thought you were tired,” she teased.

Shelby grinned back, relenting with one last peck to her forehead before burrowing her nose into her daughter’s chest. “It’s Friday. We can do whatever you want, but you’re letting me sleep first.”

She hummed in agreement, nails scratching gently into her mother’s scalp. She stilled at a gathering wetness against her skin, Shelby’s breath coming in short, ragged waves. “Mommy?”

“Shh. It’s alright, baby. Just go to sleep.”

“Shelby, come on,” she urged, rubbing her mother’s back. “Tell me.”

She sniffled, her tears gushing over and leaking into the ear she held over Rachel’s breast. “It’s nothing. Just your little heartbeat.”

“What about it?”

“Nothing. It’s just I remember the first time I got to hear it. I didn’t think I’d be able to listen to it again.”

“So… you thought I was dead?”

“No,” she chuckled, swiping a hand over her eyes, her heart warming over at the feel of having her baby in her arms again. She reached for the hand against her back, taking it into her own to press tender kisses to her knuckles. “I just missed you. That’s all.”

She felt her lips curve into a sweet smile, wrapping her into a reassuring squeeze before combing her fingers through dark tresses, the sensation coupled with the gentle pump of her heart enough to soothe Shelby to sleep. She nodded off soon after, reveling in the heat of her mother’s body against her.

It was good to be back.

***

They found themselves down in the kitchen a few hours later, Rachel swallowed in one of Shelby’s old button down shirts, bare legs crossed and dangling over the counter. Shelby busied herself at the oven, hovering over an assortment of cookies and humming along to Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy” blaring from the living room speaker.

She let her gaze rove over the toned traces of her mother’s hips and thighs, Shelby’s own nightshirt hugging tightly and coming down just enough to afford her a perfect view. She smiled idly, summoning the courage to speak and make her next bold move. “So, I’ve been thinking.”

Her shoulders tensed, one brow quirked suspiciously. “Uh huh?”

She nodded fervently, biting back a grin. “So, for every time I slip up and bring someone over…”

She felt her grip on the spatula tighten.

“… you get to punish me with a spoon. And if _you_ mess up and bring someone like April over...” She fought to suppress her laughter, Shelby finally turning halfway to face her. “I get to go down. Even if you’re asleep.”

Shelby’s eyes knitted into deep, thin slits, head cocked to the side, the discoloration of her eye giving Rachel the sad, perverse impression of a Dalmatian puppy.

“Are you _trying_ to stress me out?”

Rachel let her head fall back against the overhead cabinets, howling and clapping her hands in foolish delight.

Shelby turned away with a roll of her eyes. “You have, by far, the strangest obsession with pain. I’ll never understand it.”

_Kid’s fuckin’ worse than I ever was…_

“Well,” she laughed, wiping away the few stray tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, “I have you to thank for that.”

Shelby felt her jaw clench. “Never again,” she muttered.

“Oh, come on! You had fun every time, I know it. Plus you can’t deny it. I ate your peach good.”

“Ray,” she scolded, whirling around and extending the spatula in her direction, Rachel’s smooth legs swinging playfully back and forth and nearly distracting her. “We are _not_ doing this. Not now. Not today. No, no, no.”

Rachel eyed the instrument warily at first, the corners of her mouth lifting into a slow, mischievous smirk. Her mother’s stern expression fell, eyes drifting uneasily between her and the utensil. Her shoulders dropped with a defeated groan.

”You’re too much for me sometimes.”

“Eh, you love me anyway.”

“Always,” she said, raking up an entire row of chocolate chip and scooping it onto a plate.

“Even if I’m twice as bad in New York?”

“Even then,” she affirmed, crossing over and setting the plate down next to her, allowing herself to be coaxed between Rachel’s splayed thighs. Her arms closed around her waist, Rachel’s ankles crossing over her back in turn. “Did you see your dads yesterday?”

“Surprisingly, yeah.”

“Good,” she said honestly. “How was it?”

“Not bad,” she shrugged. “It was actually kinda weird.” 

“How so?”

“I don’t know. It’s just been a while, I guess. I really didn’t expect them to be there at all.”

“Well, I’m sure they missed you.”

Though they didn’t get along the best, she could at least be grateful for the times Hiram and Leroy did reach out to spend more time with their daughter. Still, she had to admit, it seemed they only made any real effort to be around at the most sporadic times possible. Funny it had to happen when Rachel made a point to avoid her mother of all things. At times she wondered if they kept their distance out of resentment of Rachel choosing to live with her full time. It was a shame. They were still very much an important part of Rachel’s life even in their absence, whether they realized it or not. Her heart soared at seeing her daughter’s eyes light up the few times she did get to see them. It hurt that they barely noticed or seemed to care.

She watched as Rachel’s mouth lifted into a wan smile, her eyes meeting the floor. “What’s wrong, princess?”

“I don’t know what we’re gonna do for graduation.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you guys… kinda hate each other.”

Shelby couldn’t help but laugh. “No, sweetheart. I promise, we don’t.” She firmed her voice, leaning up to press a kiss to her forehead. “And graduation is _your_ day. We can do whatever you want. I don’t want you to worry.”

She looked sheepishly back at her. “Where will you guys sit?”

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, remembering how she’d be forced to sit next to Will and a number of other faculty members who signed on to attend the ceremony. She had no earthly idea where Rachel’s fathers were planning on sitting that day, only that she’d heckled them weeks ago into being with Rachel for the whole day, once she’d helped her get all dolled up and ready, of course. It seemed only fair to give her up for the day considering she’d had her the majority of the time within the past two years.

“Not exactly right next to each other,” she said with a reassuring smile. “But close enough to where you’ll be able to see us.”

“Sure, but what about after?”

“I’m sure they’ll wanna take you to dinner once it’s over.”

She gave a light pout of annoyance. “I want _you_ there, too.”

“Sweetie, we’ll have plenty of time to hang out over the summer and once we get to New York. After a while, you’ll probably get sick of me,” she grinned, hoping to ease her nerves.

“I could never get sick of you,” she argued, suddenly growing irritated. “If I felt that way, I wouldn’t have asked you to move out there with me.”

“Ray,” she said carefully, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be there.”

“Why?”

“You know why,” she reminded her with a pointed look.

“You act like I’m gonna perform cunnilingus under the table.” She yelped as Shelby delivered a sharp swat to her naked thigh, rubbing vainly at the smarting red print left behind. “Please. I can keep my hands to myself. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“You’re more obvious than you know,” she added flatly, knowing damn well she could say the same about herself at times. She wouldn’t take any chances around Rachel’s fathers of all people. Her voice changed as her daughter’s eyes misted over. “I don’t wanna bring any tension. It wouldn’t feel right. I meant what I said about it being your day.”

“There wouldn’t be any tension. And even if there was, they’d get over it! You wouldn’t be there for them, you’d be there for me.”

“I’m saying no,” she stated vehemently, planting her feet. “Now, you’re gonna go and enjoy a wonderful evening with your fathers and you’re gonna be happy you did it. Trust me.” She lifted a hand to fold a few strands of hair behind Rachel’s ear and give her a firm chuck under the chin. “We’ll have our own little celebration afterwards, I promise. Besides, I’ve already spoken to them about what we’re gonna do over the summer.”

“What about it?” she asked with wide eyes. “How do you even have each other’s numbers?”

“I told you we didn’t hate each other,” she laughed, giving her a squeeze. “And I figured we’d all have plans for what to do before you head off to NYADA, so we came to an agreement.”

_For once._

She waited impatiently, Shelby plainly amused at watching her squirm. “And?”

“They’ll take you somewhere the first half of the break and you and I will go off somewhere the last half.”

She nodded slowly, wordlessly pushing for more details. “Yeah?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Are you at least gonna tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope.”

“Okay,” she huffed, Shelby’s widening grin enough to make her skin crawl. “How about when we’re gonna leave, then?” The answering shrug her mother gave sent her nostrils flaring.

“If I had to guess, somewhere between June and July.”

Her nails bit fiercely into the wood of the counter. “Care to be more specific?”

“You’ll find out when we tell you to pack.”

She scowled. “You make me sick.”

“It’s called a surprise for a reason,” she chuckled with a tickle of her ribs, Rachel’s sour expression fading into ripples of laughter as she twisted away.

She stilled to catch her breath, stopping short at the sight of Shelby’s eye, rendered all the more grotesque under the harsh kitchen light. Touching her fingers to the darkened patch of skin, she moved to examine it closely. Shelby winced at the contact, her smile dimming at the sudden change of mood. She felt an angry lump lodge its way at the back of her throat.

“You need ice,” she said, shifting to climb down until Shelby gripped her thighs.

“I’ll be fine.”

“At least let me put something on it,” she insisted, her thumb sliding over the scabbing split in her mother’s lip.

“I’m fine, sweetheart, I promise. Like I said, I’ve had a lot worse.”

“Still not sure how that’s supposed to make me feel better, but okay,” she muttered, shuddering at the splotch of blood in her eye. “Jesus. Now I know why she stood out so much to you. She’s fucking crazy!” She caught the warning glare in Shelby’s eyes, scoffing indignantly. “Please. We’ve cussed around each other before. I’m pretty sure my mouth has done a lot worse to you at this point.”

Her face contorted into a grimace. “Ray.”

“Would it be better if I sang?” She watched as her mother’s brow arched dangerously, rolling her eyes and refusing to let her see how subdued she really was. “Whatever.” She let her mind drift back to her earlier conversation with Quinn. “I think you scared her.”

“Who?”

“Who do you think?”

She thought for a minute, unable to suppress a snide, knowing chuckle. “Poor baby…”

“You know, if you were really hoping to set us up, I don’t think traumatizing her would help.”

“Please. She’ll be fine. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Sure. You want me to stop breathing next?”

Shelby ignored her. “I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t messing with you.”

“She’s not. But you’re wrong about us being a thing.”

“Rachel, it’s—“

“It’s not fine! Don’t get me wrong, it was fun. But I’m happy being friends and so is she.”

“I’m just saying—“

“Shelby,” she cut her off. “This isn’t what you think it is. This is not the next Brittana. I promise you.”

Her shoulders sagged in resignation. “I don’t need you to promise me anything.”

“Maybe not, but I can tell it bothers you.”

“Why would it bother me?”

“You’re jealous of her,” she prodded, shamelessly enjoying herself.

“Why in the three hells would I be jealous of an eighteen-year-old?”

“Because you’re afraid I might take off,” she said, lighthearted and jocular, realizing far too late the genuine hurt she left in her mother’s eyes.

“I’ve been expecting you to move on for some time, Ray,” she said evenly, her voice catching before she could finish. “I meant what I said before. Even if you did wanna leave, I’d still be fine. I’d just miss you is all. Anyone would.”

“I don’t want to leave. I don’t care what happened. I’d never want to leave even if we brought a dozen other people here,” she said, her tone pleading as Shelby looked away, satisfied when she managed to pull a light smile out of her on that last note. “Besides, I don’t know what makes you worry so much about her specifically. It’s not like we’ll be able to see each other after a while anyway. She’s getting ready to go to New Haven and you and I will be in New York.”

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be Quinn, sweetie.”

“Whatever. Look,” she beckoned, drawing her closer between her legs, her arms coming to lace around Shelby’s neck. “In case I haven’t said it enough within the past, what, two years, I’m perfectly happy with the way things are, how _we_ are. I’m not asking for anything normal. I never have. No one has ever made me feel as warm and wanted as you have. And _still_ do! If you really didn’t want to keep going, you probably wouldn’t have agreed to come with me after graduation.”

She remained speechless, unsure of what Rachel wanted her to say anymore. She hadn’t been entirely wrong, of course, but to admit to wanting everything to stay the same would’ve been irresponsible. She wasn’t sure what would happen once they moved, once Rachel started at NYADA, but she could already tell something else would be there to wedge them apart if the everyday bustle and distance of work and school wouldn’t suffice. Regardless of how it happened, she had to be ready, mentally prepare herself to end it all whether Rachel wanted her to or not. She felt her dark eyes burning into her, desperately searching for her own.

“Tell me what you’re thinking. Please.”

She met her gaze then, feeling Rachel’s ankles screw tighter over her lower back. One hand lifted to cup a warm cheek and bring her in to join their lips, Rachel’s fear and apprehension dissipating at the touch, Shelby giving in to enjoy whatever fragile time they had left.

“I’m imagining you in New York,” she purred into her lips. “Going to NYADA, ending up on stage…”

“Winning my first Tony,” she murmured, smiling against her.

“All in good time,” she chided gently. “Your first year up there won’t be easy. You’ll be miserable most of the time.”

“I doubt it,” Rachel laughed, her breath hitching low in her throat as Shelby’s mouth lowered to the hollow of her neck. “Not with you there.”

“Mmm. Even then.” Her teeth bared against her jugular, nipping and grazing as Rachel’s fingers knotted through her hair. “There may be only one Rachel Berry in Lima. Up there, there’ll be several of you jumping at each other’s throats.” Up above her, Rachel emitted a disbelieving snort. “Don’t flatter yourself, princess. Believe me, they will not care about you or be as nice as Mr. Shue and I have been.” Her mouth never leaving the girl’s neck, she slipped her fingers low and into the waistband of her panties, surprised and relieved that Rachel had cared to wear any before climbing up there.

“I don’t know if _nice_ is the word in your case,” she mocked lightly, voice descending into a low keen wail as Shelby teased her open with a single digit before effortlessly venturing in. She bowed her head into the crook of her mother’s neck, her hips pumping forward as if on command. "I couldn’t care less how mean they are anyway.”

“You will,” she said knowingly, never once ceasing her careful ministrations as Rachel’s tiny hand fumbled between them to manipulate the buttons of Shelby’s top, caress the firm, yet pliant flesh beneath. “There’ll be many days you’ll wanna just give up and go home. Trust me. And they will not care about your feelings or how you want things to be done. You may stand out easily here, but it’ll take a lot to convince them that you’re worth it up there. It’ll be frustrating, believe me.”

Rachel could only whimper, faltering as she swept aside the material, palming a full, warm breast as another finger forced its way in, Shelby lodging in and out of her at a slow, deliberating pace. As she worked, her lips drifted up to encapsulate Rachel’s tender lobe, her tongue darting out and mimicking an identical rhythmic motion of her fingers, her daughter’s own persistent hand toying with a turgid nipple.

“You’ll come home crying a lot that first year, be ready to quit and move on before it’s over. A lot of them may even tell you to do it, that you suck and you’re just a waste of their time.”

Spurred by the torturous deliberations of her mouth and fingers, she felt herself grow limp in the one arm still secured about her waist. Her mother’s words were anything but motivating, ill-fitting for the positon they found themselves in. Still, the speed and veracity with which her thumb now kneaded and circled the jewel of her clit meshed with the wet machinations of her mouth and the feel of Shelby’s nipples stabbing into her palms nonetheless egged her on.

“But you won’t,” Shelby continued, voice heavy with determination. “You’re stronger than that. You ought to be after everything you’ve been through here. And you’ll get that Tony. I don’t know if you’ll be twenty-five by then, but you’ll get it. But you’ve gotta be smart about it, finish NYADA before you do anything else. Those lead roles will come, but you need to finish school first. It’s not always about just showing up at the right time. You’ll want that on your CV at the end of the day.” She pulled back to find Rachel arching helplessly into her, mouth parted on the brink of release. “You’ll be magnificent, just as you always are. Just being up on that stage, they’re gonna take you so high, you’ll never wanna come down.”

Rachel swore she knew the feeling all too well, bearing down around those slick fingers, caught in the in-between and unwilling to let go. Not yet. Jesus, not yet.

“I’m so proud of you,” she crooned. “You’re gonna be great up there, I know it.”

“Will you still be there?” Rachel whined, almost childlike.

“Always,” she vowed solemnly, her wanton plea melting Shelby’s heart. “As long as you want me to be.”

“But I’m always gonna want you there, Mommy,” she swore, regressing further as Shelby’s mouth claimed her neck once again, a light chuckle tickling her skin.

“Well, then by all means, baby girl, I will be there,” she contended, exhaling sharply as those clever fingers tweaked an erect nipple, all thoughts of separation foiled again under the quick study of their hands. “Every step of the way. You can count on it.”

Their breath quickened, Shelby’s own hips lifting and knocking crudely into the counter, searching for much needed friction on the back of her hand as her daughter rode skillfully onto her probing digits. Without thinking, Rachel lowered her head, one breast still held fast in her grip, Shelby rising up to allow her enough leverage to take a succulent nipple into her mouth. Her mother’s back curved to grant her more access. Only then, in the most loving and careful arms possible, did she allow herself to fall apart, her mother’s wrenched cries pouring into her ears with her own following close behind. Slowly, Shelby withdrew her fingers, the two of them huddling close, spent, wasted. Her chest heaved as Rachel’s mouth released her with a sweet, satisfying pop.

Over the sound of her own ragged breathing, she heard Rachel’s come in short spasms, a slight hiccup forcing her to lift her head up to see. Hot tears streamed down her daughter’s cheeks, her body shaking with anguished sobs. Wary of the essence caked around her hand, she leaned in to kiss them tenderly away, catching the salt dissolving onto her tongue. She made quick work of washing her hands before gathering her up and carting her off to the living room, the pair settling onto the couch much like old times. She nestled into the crook of Shelby’s neck as she rocked her, her tears soaking straight through her half opened shirt and flooding down her chest. Her mother would definitely need to switch into a warm robe within the next couple of minutes. Shelby didn’t care, content on holding her until she calmed down.

She waited in silence, kissing and smoothing her hair until Rachel found her voice again.

“I need to tell you something,” she sniffled, hesitating as Shelby nodded. “Please don’t get mad.”

***

“And upon orgasm, I said what?”

Rachel bit her lip in attempt to stifle a quirky grin. “Poker face. And yes, you heard me right.”

The two of them lay stretched on opposite ends of the couch facing each other, bare feet propped in each other’s lap. Shelby listened intently as Rachel recanted every lewd detail of her dream, Rachel watching in amusement as Shelby’s features morphed over the course of her tale. She kneaded the soles of her feet while Rachel opted to play with her mother’s toes.

Her brows crinkled in disbelief. “That’s absurd. Oddly poetic,” she mused, cracking one of Rachel’s toes, “but absurd.”

“Maybe,” she supposed with a light shrug. “Still, you’ve gotta admit it was probably the best duet we’ve ever had. We should try and have another one before graduation.”

“I’m sure we could.”

She flexed her feet playfully into Shelby’s hand. “Maybe have the first half come true afterwards,” she added hopefully.

Shelby lifted her gaze, instantly catching the devious glint in her eyes. “Absolutely not.”

Her expression fell with a groan. “You liked it the first time.”

“The only time,” she said before reflecting on the few times she’d caught Rachel’s tongue fiddling over her upon waking up. Apparently, Rachel hadn’t forgotten either, the sly smirk written on her face saying more than enough. She fixed a grip on one of her ankles and tickled the base of her foot, her daughter exploding in a burst of giggles and fighting madly to get away.

“Whatever happened to making dreams come true?”

“Not all of them…”

“I meant what I said before. We could start the proposition effective immediately.”

“Oh, so you can complain about your jaw hurting…”

“Please. Like you’ve never—“

“For three days!”

“Well, maybe with a little more practice I could—“

“No.”

She gave an annoyed huff and rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She’d have her chance soon. She’d just have to wait it out a bit, first.

Shelby smiled, happy they could revert back to their usual playful banter and casual mannerisms after the stupidity the week had to offer. She stole an absentminded glance over to the row of pictures lined up on the shelf, frowning when she spotted something amiss. “What happened to my picture?”

Rachel followed her gaze, folding her lips into a thinly veiled grimace. “Um, that was me.”

She didn’t understand. For as long as she could remember Rachel had always adored that photo in particular, more than any of the others Shelby had taken of herself back then.

Reading into her mother’s expression, she hurried to explain. “Well, I had to. Otherwise, Quinn would’ve been eye-raping you the entire time she was here.” She watched as Shelby’s nose and mouth scrunched in blatant shock and disgust.

“Ray…”

“I’m not joking! She’s actually into you.”

She blinked, reaching for one of the decorative pillows and hurling it straight at her head. “You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m being totally serious.”

“And Quinn told you this?”

“She didn’t have to,” Rachel argued. “It was dead obvious and she kept on asking about you. Even when we were—“

“Spare me, please.”

“Whatever,” she mumbled, lifting a speck of lint from beneath one of Shelby’s nails, Quinn’s harried expression over being discovered still fresh in her mind. “I just can’t believe it.”

She thought back to their brief confrontation before the girls headed off for breakfast the other day, swearing she thought she’d noticed a hint of something else to Quinn’s flustered appearance. She’d tried her best to ignore it, focused more or less on trying to scare her out of tormenting her daughter ever again. Suddenly reminded of the compromising position she’d held her in, how she’d even gone so far as to back Quinn up against the counter to prevent her from running off, she was forced to remember everything more vividly. Most notably, how the girl’s breathing started to change, legs squared apart, her face flushed with something she’d found in Rachel’s own countenance in their most intimate moments. Truth be told, she hadn’t meant to render her in such a state, much less spark any feelings other than impending fear should Rachel be subjected to any more slushy facials and the like. Clearly, she had started something though, or perhaps those feelings were already there if Rachel had any valid suspicions about her.

She shook her head, unwilling to believe it herself, hoping Rachel’s paranoia was merely a sad aftereffect of a strange wet dream. Suppose she hadn’t been wrong, though? Granted, she’d had a few admirers here and there since she’d started coaching, though none were as brazen as the flock at McKinley had been at times, Puckerman by far the most egregious of them all. She’d never been tempted to indulge anyone until Rachel came along and she’d hoped to end it there. The idea that Quinn actually might feel anything towards not only Rachel but her as well suddenly made her feel relieved that they were all set to graduate and move away soon. One teenaged drama queen was enough and she sure as hell couldn’t take any chances on losing her job.

Besides, she had no clue as to what would make Quinn take a liking to her anyway. Outside of popping into the choir room a handful of times and seeing her there, she’d barely crossed paths with her, much less said two words to her apart from the other day. Not having any classes with her beyond the occasional show choir mash off made it easier to avoid her in the wake of Quinn’s budding affections for her daughter. Now that Rachel had bothered to mention anything to her, she’d take better care to avoid her at all costs, both on and off campus. The fact that she and Rachel had become better acquainted, so to speak, complicated things, but it could be done, nonetheless. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin any chances Rachel had at maintaining a relationship with Quinn at all, romantic or no.

An amused chuckle pricked her ears, Shelby eyeing her suspiciously, noting how Rachel seemed to enjoy her newfound knowledge a little too much for her liking.

“What?”

Shelby shook her head. “I think you’re trying too hard to hold it against her.”

“No, I’m not,” she scoffed, laughing in disbelief. She stopped to process her mother’s words, eyes lit with curiosity. “Am I?”

She pursed her lips, considering how to answer. “Ray, I know you and Quinn have had some issues before. And I don’t know what’s going through her head right now—“

“I’m sure I could guess…” Rachel muttered.

“But,” Shelby ignored her, waiting for their eyes to meet before continuing, “I do know, regardless, it’s not something for you to torment her over.”

“I’m not tormenting her over anything!”

“Rachel,” she warned, grazing a silencing look in her direction.

She appeared ready to protest again before giving up, a begrudging pout soon forming. “I just don’t wanna stop because of _her_ … or anyone else.”

Shelby chuckled lightly, leaning over to cup her cheek before pulling her fully into her lap. “We wouldn’t be stopping for her. It’d be for you, and it’d be okay.”

Rachel wouldn’t buy into it that easily. “I think you’re lying.”

“And I think you’re stubborn,” Shelby remarked with a loving squeeze. “I know you care about her, and I can tell she feels something for you.” She caught Rachel rolling her eyes, stopping to deliver a light pop to her thigh. “Stop it. You’re good for each other, whether you both realize it or not. I just don’t want you to lose out on a friendship like that over—“

“Revenge fucking?” she supplied.

Shelby’s eyes slid dangerously over to a familiar cheeky smile, Rachel bent on testing her patience. “Not funny. And that’s not a good thing to do, either.” She’d endured more than enough sessions like that with April to know.

She shrugged. “I don’t think she cared either way. She seemed to be enjoying herself, regardless.”

“Rachel,” she scolded. “Enough, now. Whatever was going on between you years ago is over now. You have no reason to try and hurt her. To do it over a dream or over her looking at a picture is way out of line.”

“I don’t plan on hurting her over anything,” she said honestly, though internally, she couldn’t deny Shelby had been at least partially correct. At first she had been angry, but now Quinn’s hidden adoration combined with Shelby’s swift denial had her thoroughly amused. In fact, she was now curious, more than ever, how they’d be forced to interact should she bring them within close proximity of each other again. Certainly not under the same set of circumstances or at three in the morning, but still. “Anyway, I think you’re pushing too hard for us to be together. And I know what I saw. She’s not innocent.”

“You didn’t see anything.” She hoped. “You’re being paranoid.”

“Whatever. It’s not gonna happen. She’s going to New Haven, anyway. I’ll probably never see her again.”

“That’s never stopped anyone before.”

“And what if I’m right?”

“Right about what?”

“You know what.”

Her face hardened. “You’re not.”

She shrugged indignantly. “You never know. You should’ve seen her when she was here. It wouldn’t surprise me if she agreed to come over just to see you.”

She offered no reply this time, refusing to reinforce whatever demented fantasy tumbled through Rachel’s—and, for all she knew, Quinn’s—head.

“Come to think of it,” she teased in hushed voice, leaning in close to her ear, “I wonder if she imagined it was _you_ when I went down.”

She pushed her off and stood abruptly, strutting away toward the stairs. “I’m going to sleep.”

Rachel followed happily behind like a persistent puppy. She pounced unceremoniously onto her mother’s back, Shelby grunting from the sudden impact. She half expected to be dropped on her ass or, at the very least, scolded into climbing down until Shelby grabbed a firm hold of her thighs, adjusting her weight and racing upstairs, Rachel’s giddy laughter bouncing off the walls as they went. She squealed in delight as she was thumped onto her back, crawling back towards the headboard, Shelby hovering over her and devouring her in a deep kiss. She locked her legs around her mother’s waist, Shelby’s arms protectively framing her on either side, their hips lifting eagerly.

“I have to ask,” she said, drawing back slightly. “If we weren’t doing _this_ … and you caught Quinn and me together, what would you have done?”

“I don’t know,” she said, Rachel’s heels driving further into her lower back.

Truthfully, she had no idea how she would’ve reacted if that were the case. Their relationship had been a far cry from conventional for so long it was almost hard to tell anymore. Besides, contrary to popular belief, for all the drama she may have started at school, Rachel gave Shelby shockingly little to no grief at home. Apart from the one instance she’d told her off over curfew, she couldn’t remember ever having to reprimand her on a frequent basis or as harshly as most probably wanted her to.

Rachel’s hips surged forward, the thin cotton of her panties doing little to conceal her excitement. “Would you punish me if I did it again?”

Her mouth cut into a wry smirk. She should’ve known it would all come full circle to this. It was no wonder she never got enough sleep around Rachel. “Not in the way you’d want me to.”

“Why not?” She held fast to the back of her mother’s neck, pulling her in close to where Shelby’s lips met her throat. “You had no problem doing it the first time.”

She chuckled, her breath and tongue warm against Rachel’s jugular. “I overreacted. You scared the hell out of me that night. I wasn’t even thinking, really. It just happened.”

She tilted her head back, baring and offering up her neck in submission. “You enjoyed it. Every bit of it. I know you did.” She felt her breath catch as Shelby’s lips suctioned the base of her ear.

“You confuse my pleasure with yours.”

She scoffed. “So, you’re saying you’d never—“

“No,” she insisted with utmost seriousness. She may have been a bit of a hard-ass at work, but she’d worked hard to keep that side of herself out of her home life, especially now that Rachel was back in her life. Apart from occasionally satisfying whatever primal sense of enjoyment Rachel craved, she never felt the need to inflict such pain.

“Still,” Rachel countered, hips circling up and into her, “you’d have to be enjoying it on some level. I can tell. Otherwise you wouldn’t be willing to do it so often.”

Her lips spread into a wolfish grin, channeling whatever nympho demon she’d appeared to be in Rachel’s dream. “Oh, sweetheart.” She pulled back, holding her gaze as she kneaded the girl’s breast through the button-down, eyes darkened with wicked lust. “I don’t have to enjoy hurting you to get that sweet, little kitten wet.”

It was enough to send a shudder throughout her body, her hands clutching the top of the headboard in desperation. There was no time to lose. She needed this, needed Shelby now. “Get my hands.”

Shelby cocked her head innocently to the side in feigned confusion. “Hmm?”

“My hands,” she said impatiently. “I need you to tie my hands.”

“Do you?” Shelby murmured, hands working enticingly slow to undo each and every button.

“Yes,” she begged with a sharp jut of her hips.

She knelt in and parted the material, casting a warm, teasing breath over her left breast and closing her teeth down around a pert nipple. “With what, princess?”

“Anything!” Rachel keened. “Come on, just—“

“Awfully impatient, princess,” she scolded lightly, swirling the tip of her tongue around her sweet, rosy little peak. “Did we forget how to ask nicely?”

Thrashing her head furiously from side to side, Rachel let out a delicious whimper, her tone negating though her body was positively accepting. Her hips rose to meet something, anything. “No, no, please, just…”

She leered, rising and gripping the underside of the girl’s knees to flip her over onto her belly, dragging her limply over her lap. “Do we need a stronger reminder?”

It felt strange, almost silly, to add in a running commentary. Usually, when she popped her, it was crisp and quick, no amount of pretense ever necessary. In spite of the desires Rachel may have expressed in the contents of her dream, her body always responded as violently as Shelby expected, reducing her to a sobbing, trembling mess before she coddled her in her lap. She had no idea what to expect if she dared to drag it out to this magnitude.

Looking at her now, seeing her daughter splayed helplessly over her knees suddenly gave her another reason to enjoy having her in this position. Arms stretched out before her, Rachel shamelessly offered up her back, thighs parted, her spine curving like a cat as Shelby’s hand came to pass over the tender swell of her ass. Not once did she seem to feel the need to reach her hands back in defense, giving up more power here than she could stand to with other people. Knowing that Rachel could surrender so easily, enable her to put her through so much pain when Shelby had a hard time relinquishing control herself sent a warm, refreshing feeling through her.

And she certainly couldn’t deny the pleasant view she was given from this angle. 

Pushing up the hem of her shirt, she hooked her fingers into the elastic of her underwear, one arm draping over the girl’s slim waist as she tugged the material down to her knees. A light whimper escaped her lips as Shelby’s fingers ran deftly up and down the inside of her thigh, stopping once they reached a tuft of smooth, dark curls at the top. The pad of one finger traced over the gathering wetness there, pressing fervently into the swollen, heated bundle found above it.

“Silly,” her mother chuckled over her. “I haven’t even started yet.”

Her hand leaving Rachel’s center all too soon, she brought her open palm down, the first strike enough to send her body arching up and off her lap. Barely giving herself enough time to register the sting left in her hand, she continued, gathering Rachel’s stiffening form close to her body as her hand rained smartly onto her reddening flesh.

For a brief moment, she hesitated, watching her daughter’s lithe form writhe and squirm helplessly over her lap, clearly suffering under her mother’s attentive hand but craving it all the same. Heaven knows she’d subjected Rachel to this treatment many times before, though she continued to surprise herself each and every time. To this day, she still couldn’t decide which was more disturbing, her enjoyment of it or Rachel’s. Of course, while Shelby herself was certainly not new to the dominance scene, she had no idea what on earth had drawn Rachel’s interest into it. She had to wonder whether she was partly to blame outside of Rachel’s obvious need to subdue her overbearing attitude on stage.

She passed her hand over tender, blushing skin, Rachel’s soft, pleading whimpers sending a spark charging straight to her cunt, the girl’s wetness gathering hotly over Shelby’s thigh.

“You scared the hell out of me the other night,” she said, waiting a few beats before issuing another swat, Rachel clenching underneath her with a sharp, little cry. “Do you enjoy tormenting me, princess?”

Eyes squeezed shut, she gathered a fistful of the sheets in both hands, the expectant slap delivered to her ass finally compelling her to answer. “No,” came her hoarse reply. “No, please. I’m sorry.”

Shelby was relentless. “I don’t think you are, no,” she taunted, her hand swishing down in a blur, Rachel’s tanned backside warming under a flurry of reverberating slaps. “You tease me, keep me up at three in the morning,” she continued, pausing to admire her work thus far. “You almost made me break the shower door the other day.”

Not even the soreness in her ass could keep her from making a swift comeback. “That’s your fault as much as it is mine,” she countered, sucking in a short breath as Shelby’s open palm clapped down again. Tears began to spurt and spill down her cheeks, the hardest part of her lesson making a heady impact. The tears and pain were inevitable, but with the aid of her mother’s loving, able hands to bring her gently back down in the end, it didn’t matter. Once it was over, it was always worth it.

Shelby couldn’t resist the shameless smirk passing over her lips, Rachel undeniably right in partially blaming her for their little mishap in the shower that morning. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to allow such backtalk at a time like this. “If I remember correctly,” she lectured in an uncharacteristically cold, airy voice, “I told you specifically _not_ to tease me or fool around before we left. Right?” Her hand fell onto pretty pink flesh in punctuation.

Fervently, she shook her head. More… she needed more. “Still,” she repeated stubbornly, quaking with a satisfied grunt at the anticipated strike given thereafter.

“Still?” Shelby echoed, amazed at how long they could maintain persistent dialogue in the midst of correction, how quickly it managed to draw forth the essence coursing between Rachel’s knees. The leakage onto her leg followed by the ragged moans falling from her daughter’s lips summoned her own emanating heat. “Still, you wear me the fuck out,” she scolded in a husky whisper, lowering her hand to give a solid, wet smack to her throbbing cunt, daring to indulge Rachel’s dream more than she’d expected to. “Then, you have me thinking there’s some creepy motherfucker in my house at three in the morning….”

Her body still in shock over the harsh treatment given to her pussy, Rachel did her best not to laugh, amused at how much her mother was willing to curse in front of her at the moment and how all the wrong things seemed to happen to Shelby at 3 A.M. She barely had time to offer a witty retort as her mother’s hand landed in relentless succession over and over again, Rachel unable to hear her own voice over the heated contact of Shelby’s palm. “Mommy, please!”

_Oh, my fuck’s sake Christ…_

Unable to contain herself, Shelby let her hand drift back between the girl’s knees, a pair of punishing fingers reaming into the pulsing, slick arousal there, Rachel’s shrill cries fueling her every move. Her thighs opened wider under Rachel’s heaving body, her inner walls cinching at the feel of her daughter’s own passage tightening around her. She wedged in deeper, hooking her fingers until she reached the sweet spongy surface hidden there, Rachel’s legs flailing as if fighting to get away. She couldn’t stand to talk anymore, the sound of her daughter begging and crying beneath her enough to drive her insane. She was close, so close, but Shelby couldn’t— _wouldn’t_ —let her go. Not this soon.

She drew back her hand, torturously quick, from her flooding core, Rachel whining at the loss of contact until her mother’s hand connected flatly onto her smarting backside again, her tears gushing unabashedly down her cheeks and dampening the sheets below. In the absence of Shelby’s conquering fingers, her cunt bore down with each invigorating slap, her legs swinging frantically around, no longer wary of whacking Shelby in the face. Shelby bit her lip to stifle a moan, unwilling to let her icy façade slip in her own arousal though, at this rate, she wasn’t so sure Rachel could hear it over her own strained cries. Fatigue working its way in, she let her arm rest over her abused flesh for a moment, thinking of the many ways to finish her off before something finally hit her.

She looked to the nightstand drawer, considering how quickly and carefully she could move before Rachel came to her senses enough to realize what she was about to do. She slid out from under her shuddering form, leaving her stretched prone over the rumpled sheets as she worked. All the while, Rachel refused to open her eyes even for a split second, reveling in agony and the stemming pleasure as her own erratic heartbeat thudded violently in her ears, drowning out the sound of Shelby mussing through the contents of the drawer behind her. She barely had time to even out her breathing, recover from Shelby’s cruel denial of release when she was abruptly flipped over onto her back, her legs thrown open as something cool and stiff rammed into her. She threw her head back, mouth stretched into a scream, the backboard rocking into the wall over her head as Shelby’s hips slammed into her.

Her arms hung loosely over her head, Rachel silently wishing there was a secure post installed above them Shelby could maybe hitch her to at some point in the near future. The sound of her mother’s delirious moans coming over her forced her eyes open in curiosity. Though she was sure Shelby derived some pleasure from using the toy on her, it never seemed to have nearly the same effect as it did on Rachel. How Shelby had managed to slip into that cumbersome harness in such little time was a separate issue altogether. Only, this time, there was no such obstacle to speak of. Through her muddied vision, Rachel could make out her mother’s bare hips pumping against her, edging back just enough to where she could see the opposite end of the shaft undoubtedly buried in Shelby’s own drenched opening.

Her head bounced crudely into the headboard, Shelby swearing and reaching down to nuzzle her hair in apology though Rachel was much too amused to notice the pain. For all her mother’s hesitation over using a toy that first time months before, it was a wonder she’d opted to buy another one without being pestered into it, though Rachel couldn’t bring herself to complain, of course. If anything, Shelby appeared to have an easier time using and enjoying herself with this—well, whatever it was called—more than she had with the strap-on.

Shelby caught the wave of shock crossing her daughter’s face, leering down at her. She’d admittedly grown accustomed to the idea of using toys on her—though at Rachel’s insistence, she doubted she had much of a choice—but meddling with those leather straps even with years’ worth of practice had proven to be a hassle after a while. True, she probably should’ve consulted with Rachel before buying another one, though, judging from the wanton expression on her face, the mind-numbing pleas falling from her lips, it was clearly proving to be worth the gamble. She’d opted for the girth to be slightly wider than the first one, still careful to lube it up as quickly as possible without being detected, though she had no doubt they were both wet enough to accommodate it regardless. Rachel didn’t appear to notice the difference, likely still too sore from her spanking to pay much attention. Still, her fragile body seemed to accept it with shockingly little resistance, Shelby’s own cunt hungrily taking it in.

Through the thick curtain of her hair, she watched Rachel’s breasts shake with every thrust, her arms slung helplessly over her head without being tethered. Her nipples seemed to tense under the study of her mother’s greedy gaze, Shelby’s pace quickening as she clutched down on her end. She braced herself onto her elbows, anchoring her head low to inch her mouth as close to Rachel’s chest as she could manage in this position. Over the sounds of their labored breathing, she could vaguely make out the incoherent mumbles sputtering past the girl’s lips. She lifted her head to look, fatigue showing clearly through those dark, heavily lidded eyes.

Without warning, Shelby hefted their combined weight up to sit, Rachel hiked firmly up and into her lap. Her eyes flew open, catching a look in Shelby’s eyes that told her they were far from done. Her arms moved to enclose around her mother’s neck, Shelby embracing her in earnest as she helped to guide her up and down, beckoning for Rachel’s hips to buck painfully into her own. Rachel succumbed with a tortured sigh, eyes clamping shut once again as they rode into each other, her body arching back far to allow Shelby enough leverage to devour those delectable nipples one at a time, release them with a gratifying pop over and over. God, if she could play with them like this all damn day, have Rachel rising and falling like this indefinitely, she’d gladly give up all the sleep in the world. Rachel let out an appreciative moan, bowing her head forward to rest against the top of her mother’s head. She drew back to watch the series of expressions waving over her daughter’s face, how her brows knitted together as if in confusion, how tightly her eyes screwed shut until Shelby’s voice coaxed them open.

Nearly there, she mused, hips undulating at a thriving pace to meet Rachel every step of the way, the two of them skirting the edge, though one was clearly resisting.

“Keep going, little girl,” she urged, low and husky, the continuous ministrations of her hips and mouth leaving no room for argument. Rachel keened as her lips met her neck, nipping and sucking, mindless of the marks she was sure to leave there. No matter. They’d have all weekend to fade away.

She glimpsed through hooded eyes at her again, Rachel’s mouth agape, eyes stubbornly screwed shut. Firm nails bit fiercely into Shelby’s back and shoulders as they moved, her back arching as Rachel’s mewls of bourgeoning resistance spurred the motion of her hips. Her gaze never once left that perfect face as her mouth fastened viciously onto a lush, dark nipple once again, her cunt clenching down at the feel of it beading into her mouth. She watched as it slipped audibly from between her teeth, her breath flooding warmly up her daughter’s neck and chest. She’d have to let go sooner or later. She didn’t know why Rachel would even try to fight it.

“Did we forget who that sweet, little kitten belongs to?”

Rachel’s head shook with an imperceptible whimper, her body jouncing as one of Shelby’s hands snaked low to cup the tender rise of her ass with a punishing squeeze.

“Come again, baby girl,” her mother teased with a never ending leer.

“No,” she cried, her head whipping furiously from side to side. “No, please, I—“

“Are we sure?” Shelby whispered in the hollow between her breasts.

“Yes,” she nodded meekly, her clit twitching at the domineering edge in her mother’s voice.

“You know Mommy doesn’t like for her pretty baby to resist…”

Indeed, she didn’t, Rachel mused inwardly, her heart and body quaking as Shelby’s mouth hitched over to lick and tease a taut nipple once more. God, if she’d just let her wait it out a bit longer… stretch herself, stretch it out for just a bit—

“Does my little girl get to decide when to let go? Do we get to make decisions for that pretty, little kitten alone?”

Her eyes snapped open to meet her mother’s unwavering glance over the heave of her chest, silently begging her to hold off for just a tad bit longer, one more precious minute if still possible. With a sly grin in return, she snagged her teeth onto a ripe breast, engulfing it in a long enduring suck as she drove forcefully into her, swearing she could practically envision Rachel’s cunt bearing and stretching dangerously around the expanse of slick silicone. Harsh mangled cries were ripped from her throat, her body tensing in the circle of her mother’s swathing arms.

“Come on, sweet pea,” she beckoned. “Mommy’s right here. Let go for me.”

_Always._

Her fingers coiled into her mother’s hair, forcing her head back to claim her lips, pitching them both deliciously over as they lost and found each other again and again. Mouths fixed open, they husked into each other, Shelby allowing Rachel’s teeth to suction her lower lip as they clung steadfast to each other on the way down.

“Ride it out, little girl,” Shelby instructed in a low voice, twirling her hips at a dying pace as Rachel’s cries subsided into mindless drones. “There’s my little princess. Go on, ride it out for me. That’s a good girl, come back to me.”

She anchored them gently back down, milking both of their pussies on the shared length until they had nothing left to give. She helped to ease it out of her daughter before sliding wetly off herself, Rachel folding into her as they stretched back under the sheets.

“You okay, princess?” Shelby murmured, her thumb running gently over her baby’s flushed cheek. She laughed as Rachel’s head bobbed furiously in affirmation. “Good girl,” she crooned, kissing the top of her head, bowing to let their foreheads touch. “My sweet, little girl. Mommy’s pretty girl.”

Rachel reached between them to find Shelby’s other hand, interweaving their fingers and bringing them up to her mouth to brush a kiss over a pale set of knuckles. Shelby gave a sleepy smile in return, closing her eyes contentedly at the sound of their collected breathing.

“You still forgot to tie my hands.”

She blinked them open again, eyeing Rachel coyly and playfully bopping her nose. “Go to sleep.”

They laughed in ripples of soft nuzzles and kisses, Rachel’s leg coming to snake around her mother’s waist as Shelby’s own lifted to rest between her knees.

“Stay?” Rachel’s voice broke over the curbing silence, soft and pleading. Shelby swore she detected tears. “Even if we mess up again?”

She tucked her head under her chin as she gathered her close, her staunch assurance coming without any nagging inhibitions this time. “With everything I have.”

***

The following week chugged along, business as usual for the both of them, the awkwardness between Rachel and Quinn along with Shelby’s injuries slowly fading over time. Though she was curious as to whether or not the girls were officially together, Shelby couldn’t find the time to pry, nor did she feel comfortable pushing for any details until Rachel seemed ready to talk about it. If there was anything going on between them, Rachel gave no indication of it, still eager to resume their nightly ritual after their emphatic reunion over the weekend. She smiled idly at the thought, admittedly relieved everything had reverted back to normal in spite of whatever the future held for them after graduation. The least she could do was enjoy it while it lasted for the time being, for her sake and Rachel’s.

Shortly after last period, a soft knock came at the door.

“Yes,” Shelby said without looking up, halfway through a stack of ungraded papers.

“Hate to bother you right now,” the person began, voice so light and familiar that Shelby felt compelled to look, Quinn poised against the doorframe. “But, um, I think I left something at your house.”

Shelby fought to keep her emotions in check, wary of them being alone after Rachel’s disturbing revelation. “Did you?”

“Yeah,” she chuckled nervously, sliding her fingers through her hair as Shelby looked expectantly back at her.

Shelby waited, her guarded mask falling in place. “Well?”

“Huh?”

“Whatever it is you left. What is it?”

“Uh… scarf.”

She blinked, brow raised in suspicion. Of all the things this kid could’ve fucking come to her for, it had to be over something she very well could’ve asked Rachel for days ago if she really wanted to.

“Alright,” she said, diverting her attention back to her work. “I’ll look for it as soon as I get home.” Mindlessly, she scribbled away, the scratch of her pen the only sound filling her ears as Quinn stood stock still against the door. She glanced up through hooded eyes. “Was there something else?”

She shifted uneasily, tucking one foot behind the other. “I think I might’ve left one of my books over there, too.”

“Where?”

She thought for a minute, chewing her lower lip. “Somewhere by the piano, I think.”

Her brows knitted in disbelief. She’d passed by the baby grand many times within the past couple of days, even played it over the weekend. There was no way in hell she wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary lying around there. “I don’t remember seeing anything, but I’ll look again this afternoon. Anything else?”

“I’m trying to remember if there was something else…” she trailed off, unable to meet Shelby’s exasperated gaze. “My—“

“Dignity?”

“What?”

“Hmm?” She masked her voice with as much innocence as she could muster, her amusement growing as she humored the possibility of Rachel being right all along. If she was shooting for something as simple as being in the same room with her, she was going overboard. “You know, Quinn,” she said, dropping her pen, “if you really wanted to come over again, you could’ve just asked.”

Quinn faltered. “Umm…”

“I’m assuming that’s why you’re here, anyway. It’s a bit late in the year for you to try joining the Troubletones.”

Her voice rose in panic. “No, no, no. I just—“

“Forgot something else?” she supplied, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. On second glance, she noted just how much Quinn’s gaze shifted intermittently between her mouth and cleavage, hesitating to meet her eyes even for a split second. “You can do better than that.”

“Better than what?”

“I don’t know. You tell me,” she said, rising to stand in front of her desk, arms folded in front of her.

She looked helplessly back to the door. “I, uh—“

“Yes?” Shelby said sweetly, resigning to enjoy herself.

“I think I left my shampoo…”

“You had no shampoo when you came over and if I remember correctly, you used Rachel’s before you left. Besides, I think I’d know my own house well enough to notice when a bunch of someone else’s stuff is left over. So, what else you got?”

Her hand lifted as if to make a point, hesitating and coming back to rub at the back of her neck.

“Well?”

“There’s something else…”

“Uh huh?”

“I’m eighteen,” she blurted out.

She could’ve laughed in her face. For all the cruel pranks and harsh digs she’d made at the expense of others over the years, Quinn seemed to lack any sense of subtlety. She dared to think even the likes of Puckerman possessed far more suave and charm than this.

“Yes, well I gathered. You and my daughter are graduating in the same class. I suppose you think I forgot.”

“Right,” she sputtered, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear. “Yeah.”

“And you’re telling me this, why?” she asked, though she knew, unabashedly watching her squirm.

“I don’t even know anymore,” she said with a defeated sigh, the situation clearly not blowing over the way she’d hoped. It was almost disheartening.

“You sure?”

She looked ready to say something else before her face fell, disappointment and shame evident in her voice. “Positive. I’m sorry if I wasted your time. Have a good day, Shel—Miss Corcoran… um. Fuck.” She spun on her heel and left.

She stood leaning back against her desk, a million things running through her head all at once. First under the impression Rachel’s suspicions had been the product of hormonal jealousy, she had no idea what to make of things now. She thought back to her earlier resolve to maintain a reasonable distance from Quinn, unable to explain herself as she flipped open her laptop and launched the page scheduling her oncoming trip with Rachel over the summer.

She checked to see when they’d make it back, measuring the time they’d have left before taking off for New York. She couldn’t bring anyone else along for that first trip, still very much designated for the two of them alone. Perhaps there’d be enough time to head somewhere else, someplace far more quick and casual, maybe squeeze in another person. She felt her heart quicken, the full realization of what she was about to do slowly sinking in.

It was sheer madness. If it didn’t work out, there was no telling what she would do afterwards. Rachel probably wouldn’t want anything else to do with her after this. Then again, she’d thought the same thing just a few days ago and look what happened. Still, it was a gamble, everything within her screaming for her to slam down the screen and get back to work as she made a few clicks and keystrokes here and there, confirming this and that.

Her work complete, she pushed away from her desk, exhaling sharply as she tipped her head back and ran a hand over her face. Just then, another light movement sounded by the door, Shelby not even bothering to look as a tall blonde poked her head in and planted what appeared to be a handful of garlic on one of the desks far away from her.

“Nosferatu,” came an airy whisper.

“Brittany, get the hell outta my classroom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't want to see future polyamory, I'd suggest leaving off here.


	6. Head for the Hills (Da dum da dum da dum)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polyamory outside of dream sequence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title to be taken quite literally if this is not your thing. Once again, if you don't want to see them all partnered up, I'd suggest leaving off at the last chapter. Facocoberry? Jesus, I don't know. I've envisioned this for a long time. It was just a matter of how and when.

Chapter 6: Head for the Hills (Da dum da dum da dum)

Mid July, they found themselves standing and waiting in the airport terminal. Or rather, Shelby had opted to stand calmly while Rachel paced erratically up and down the gate, fuming and occasionally stopping to glance out the vast windows before furiously resuming her stride. Shelby glimpsed her phone for the time, her attention darting back and forth between Rachel dashing past her to the crew loading their luggage underway.

She glanced over her shoulder at her daughter impatiently skimming past her again, Rachel appearing ready to stomp her feet and hurl her carry-on straight out the window. “We don’t board for another half-hour, Ray,” she chuckled, much to Rachel’s chagrin. “Settle down.”

“And by the time she gets here— _if_ she ever gets here—we’ll be in the air already.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“I’m not,” she snapped, her tone falling short at the chastising glint in her mother’s eyes. She softened, but only just, her irritation muted slightly over the thought of what might happen if she dared to storm off then and there. “I just don’t understand why you had to invite her in the first place,” she groaned, voice substantially lower than before.

Shelby’s eyes swiveled over to the pair of yellow-clad men struggling to heft a particularly stubborn suitcase onto the conveyer belt down below. “I didn’t think she’d accept,” she remarked privately, Rachel glaring daggers into her.

“Then, _why_?” came her miffed reply, through one ear and out the other, Shelby unable to give herself a definite answer on that one.

She knew full well the chance she was taking in asking Quinn to tag along at the last minute, not only given their rocky history, but also in keeping with the fact that she and Rachel had barely enough time to cool off from their own private trip just a little over a week ago. Rachel, fully looking forward to having a couple of more lazy days in with Shelby before they had to pack up and haul ass to New York, naturally didn’t take well to the sudden change of plans. Shelby, admittedly still drowsy from jetlag herself, did her best to stay cheerful for them both, constantly encouraging Rachel to try to relax and enjoy herself with the reminder they’d only be gone for two full days.

Still, she felt her own optimism wane with each passing second, everything within her screaming that this may have indeed been a bad idea after all. Their time at McKinley may have been over, but she still had a relationship to maintain with her daughter in the end. She looked to her again, willing off any oncoming negativity as she fixed her lips into a tight, thin smile. She couldn’t afford to get ahead of herself now. Not after all the effort she’d put into this and certainly not with everything else held in the balance for them. The least she could do was try to lighten the mood before Quinn got there.

She schooled her expression into something considerably warmer, coaxing Rachel to lean into her shoulder, kissing the top of her head.

“It’ll be okay,” she insisted with a hopeful smile, mussing her bangs and grinning at the adorable frown she was given. “We’ll have fun. I promise.”

Feeling as though she had no other choice, Rachel took her word for it, combing her hair smoothly back into place and nuzzling her cheek into the crook of her mother’s shoulder in resignation. It wasn’t so much the thought of spending time with Quinn that bothered her as it was the fear of being detected. Now, she not only had to worry about uncovering her secret dynamics with Shelby but also with her newly minted chemistry with Quinn.

In spite of their combined insistence that their first night would be their last, she and Quinn had grown more intimate over the weeks leading up to graduation and, much to their surprise, even long after that. It hadn’t started out that way, though the swift elevation in touch had proven to be exciting and a little unnerving for them both. Doubly disarming was not how willing Quinn was to initiate such closeness but how much Rachel had yielded to it herself, how warm she’d felt under Quinn’s touch after everything they’d been through, after swearing to Shelby they would only stay friends.

She privately noted how old habits had quickly recovered since that night. In spite of Quinn’s insistence not to fuck ever again, she showed little reluctance in being so close to her. She gave a light snort as she remembered when they’d first nuzzled each other’s feet beneath a shared blanket on Quinn’s bed, curled up in front of a quickly forgotten movie. At first they’d occasionally resorted to linking arms and playful bumps here and there. Now, ever since that night, and oddly enough after her reconnection with Shelby, things had escalated to the graze of fingers, nudges over the bare knee, the sweep of blonde ringlets over her arm as a warm cheek brushed over her shoulder. She remembered all too well the blush brought to her cheeks when they’d joined hands for a brief moment at Nationals, the jeering comment Santana had made upon seeing them, the scolding jab Quinn delivered to her ribs.

_Hey, why don’t you bitches just finger-fuck under the bleachers once we’re done here?_

If only she knew, though at the rate they were going, she didn’t doubt how obvious it might’ve been. In retrospect, it was strange how they’d all given her so much shit and suspected her for so long when, at times, Quinn—and the rest of the Unholy Trinity, now that she thought about it—had been all the more telling in their interactions. Hell, to this day, she still caught Brittany and Santana linking arms around Quinn’s waist, pressed their cheeks against hers when locked in embrace and vice versa, even in the heat of snide, biting remarks.

She was torn out of her reverie, the two of them turning abruptly at a pair of heels clicking sharply behind them.

“Hope we’re not too late,” Judy panted on her way over, Quinn shuffling closely behind her.

“Not at all,” Shelby assured lightly, offering her hand. “We’ve met before, haven’t we? It’s been a while.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” she agreed with a firm pump of her hand. “Show choir… graduation…”

“One of those,” she shrugged with a shared grin, the two of them exchanging a few brief, cordial words as their daughters stood awkwardly off to the side, skeptical of whether to greet each other with a hug or kiss and neither quite sure what was bound to happen within the next few days. All things considered, both surmised they could’ve gotten away with at least one quick peck, both wary but sure of the fact their mothers had some idea of what they’d been up to in all those visits to Quinn’s house.

“So, where’re you headed again? Everything’s been so busy, I’ve forgotten.”

Rachel looked ready to deliver a snide remark, pointing over to the marquis detailing their destination behind them until her mother cut her off with a sharp stare. Unbeknownst to them, Quinn watched the exchange with a subtle hint of mirth, probably the most relaxed she’d ever found herself in Shelby’s presence thus far.

“Atlantic City.”

“Oh, nice. Awfully generous of you to bring Quinnie with you. If I didn’t have work, I’d probably join you myself.”

_How convenient. Corcoran, you bastard._

“I understand,” she nodded, the plastered smile never leaving her face.

It never ceased to amaze her how painfully oblivious everyone in Lima seemed to be within the past couple of years. Or so she thought, anyway. She honestly had no idea what Judy thought or expected of their trip, though it was clear to both of them that the girls had grown closer even if they were hesitant to use any explicit labels. Still, she’d accepted Shelby’s invitation warmly and insisted Rachel was welcome over as often as she liked. Needless to say, given the Fabrays’ Holy Roller reputation over the years, Shelby was surprised. And provided what she eventually had planned within the next couple of days, she would’ve expected an assassination attempt versus the sugary-sweet reception Judy gave her.

“Well,” she said, fishing through her purse, “I won’t hold you for long. Here’s to a safe trip.” She stopped to push a few wadded bills into Quinn’s palm, shouldering her duffle bag off to her before pressing a quick peck to her cheek. Quinn flushed indiscreetly at something whispered into her ear before her mother drew back. “Thanks again for taking her.” With one last nod to Shelby, she was off and on her way, Quinn’s shoulders tensing all over again.

“Everything alright, Q?”

She felt her cheeks darken at Shelby’s casual use of her typical endearment. “Yes, ma’am,” she said automatically, Rachel’s eyes rolling in her periphery.

“Relax,” she chuckled, brushing past her with a gentle touch to her shoulder as she made her way over to the front desk.

She waited until she was out of earshot before leaning over to Rachel in a hushed whisper. “Remind me again why I’m here?”

At the sight of chill bumps rising up and down Quinn’s skin, Shelby’s effect on her undoubtedly still in place, Rachel felt the corners of her mouth turn into a wry smirk. “I don’t know. I just found out yesterday.”

Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “No, you didn’t.”

“Okay, last week,” she shrugged, delighting in her distress. “She apparently had this booked weeks ago.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess she thought it’d be good for us all to hang out before we leave.”

“ _Why?_ ”

Her smile broadened. “Oh, come on, Q,” she trilled, feigning Shelby’s enthusiasm. “It’ll be fun. I _promise_ ,” she repeated her mother’s words, nudging her playfully, Quinn batting her away with a heavy purse. She grinned shamelessly to herself as she joined her mother at the counter, leaving Quinn beet red and confused behind her.

_Who knows?_

Maybe this trip wouldn’t turn out as badly as she thought. She’d very likely be so distracted and entertained by Quinn’s imbecilic interactions with Shelby that she wouldn’t feel tempted to grope either of them. Or at least not with the three of them being in such close quarters. There was no telling how much distance they’d be permitted to have within the next couple of days.

They boarded in shockingly little to no time, Shelby taking the liberty of stowing all of their respective carry-ons overhead in spite of Quinn’s protests to do it herself, Rachel witnessing in amusement as her mother finally ordered Quinn to sit. With a shred of mercy and in effort to ease her friend’s nerves, she served as a buffer between them in seating arrangements, neither complaining and Shelby privately relieved to have Rachel there to cuddle into her and settle her own tension over the enduring flight. Quinn felt her shoulders sag with an audible sigh, happy she wouldn’t have to risk falling asleep against Shelby mid-flight, positive she wouldn’t feel comfortable dealing with a squirming, hormone-addled teenager for close to two hours, though Shelby honestly couldn’t have cared less.

A light smile split over Rachel’s lips as Quinn joined their hands between the hidden cushion of their thighs. She couldn’t feel angry or even the slightest bit repulsed by how closely she clung to her now. In fact, she even found herself to be fairly open and receptive to it. It was a hell of a lot better than being slapped or having slushies thrown at her and she couldn’t deny how sweet it felt after all the shenanigans they’d been through over the years. In the midst of how heavily Quinn insisted on avoiding Shelby and simultaneously grown attached to her in turn, she no longer feared Quinn using her as a bridge to get closer to her mother. Just thinking about it brought to light what Shelby had said about the two of them staying connected even once they left, how Rachel had all but rolled her eyes at the possibility of Quinn ever wanting to do that after they’d had each other that night. Sleep thankfully claimed her before she had the chance to ruminate.

Halfway through, they nodded off dominoed against her, a light tremor tugging at Shelby’s heart as she resisted the urge to tuck Rachel up and under her arm as she slept. For a split second, she entertained what it might’ve been like to have Quinn huddled up against her as well, shrugging it off before she could fully relish the prospect at all. She tipped her head back and drew in a few deep, shaky breaths, the next few days a gamble if anything else for the three of them. She had the next full hour to steel herself against the morbid outcomes stretched ahead. Things could either go one of two ways for the three of them after tonight. Or tomorrow night, depending on how the girls felt within the next several hours.

She let her gaze fall on them again, smiling at the sight of them stacked against her, dozing contentedly. She flipped down her shades and popped in her headphones, closing her eyes.

***

She swung the rental car around the front of the hotel a few hours later, rousing and gently urging them out to wait for her in the lobby while she found a place to park. She smiled at the shared grumbles and whines from the backseat, the two of them groggily obeying and leaving her a small window of time to think aloud to herself. Moving slower than rightfully necessary, she gathered the remaining luggage, repeating a calming mantra to herself as she strode towards the entrance. Rolling her shoulders back a few times to ease away the tension, she picked up the pace, resolving to make the trip as painless as possible and do away with any leftover awkwardness from her last encounter with Quinn.

Upon slipping through the automatic doors, she found them lounging half-awake on one of the couches, folded lazily into each other, Rachel’s head propped over her shoulder as Quinn’s cheek nestled into her hair. The corners of her mouth lifted. Though she’d been wary of it at first, given Quinn’s prior treatment of her daughter, she had to admit, seeing them now was surprisingly sweet and even cute on some level. She wasn’t stupid. She knew enough to expect them to grow closer after that first night together, especially after Quinn made a point to invite Rachel over more often. Rachel may have tried to hide it at first, but she failed miserably. Still, she wasn’t angered or put off in the least. In fact, it made her feel less nervous about scheduling their trip in the first place and lessened any fears she had over Quinn trying to hurt her daughter in the end. She gravitated carefully around them, refusing to ruin the moment and knowing full well Quinn would be ready to bolt if she noticed her watching.

Once she’d collected their room keys, she returned to nudge them fully awake, Quinn confirming her suspicions and coming to with a startled jolt. Focusing anywhere but that teasing green gaze, she stopped to give Rachel’s knee a firm shake, vainly attempting to shrug her off until she finally managed to stir her awake. Rachel squinted expectantly up at her mother’s towering form without budging.

Jerking her head in the direction of the elevators, Shelby ushered them wordlessly along, smirking after Quinn’s turned back as she ambled past her, pointedly amused at how she could be reduced to such a mess after one scary encounter with a woman twice her age. She couldn’t even remember seeing her shudder like this under Sue’s iron stare.

They rode up in silence, Rachel too tired to speak and Quinn hovering close to her for protection, far and away from Shelby’s personal bubble. Shelby did her best to conceal the smirk etching into her face. After all this time, Quinn still bore the resemblance of a scared rabbit around her. She suspected even something as simple as breathing in Quinn’s direction would’ve sent her scurrying and crawling up the walls. It made no damn sense. If anything, it made her attraction all the more obvious. Oh, well. She’d been the one to organize this; it was on her to try and make things less weird.

Dropping her bags by the door, she ventured off to splash some cold water onto her face, coming back to scan a quick survey of the room. A simple double-queen, maybe a slight step up from the last hotel she’d booked for Rachel’s birthday. It didn’t afford much space for them should her plans go awry, but it would have to do. Her gaze swept over them once again, Rachel hunched over and unstrapping her heels while Quinn huddled centimeters away.

She leaned back against the bathroom doorway, mussing her hair and issuing a short, weary huff.

“Nap?”

With one look, they came to a silent agreement, neither needing to be told twice.

“Nap,” they concluded in unison.

Rachel stood to join her mother on the bed closest to the door, frowning as Shelby’s eyes directed her to turn back. She gave a low whine, her forming pout met with Shelby’s upturned brow, her mother redirecting her once again with a terse nod at the opposite bed. Quinn’s back remained obliviously turned to the exchange. She knew Rachel had no real objections to co-sleeping with Quinn. What she didn’t know was how well Quinn would take to seeing her share a bed so easily with her daughter. And heaven knows Rachel had little to no composure when lying next to her. She wouldn’t risk taking any chances on being discovered this soon. She hadn’t meant to be so cold about it, but she needed to test the waters a bit.

Rachel’s face soured with a defeated groan. Sharing a bed with Quinn wasn’t the problem. They’d done that several times within the past couple of months and Shelby knew it, whether Rachel was willing to admit it or not. Still, she didn’t want to look so obvious in front of her mother or give her the impression she was moving on, unsure of how much reasonable distance could be maintained under the sheets in Shelby’s presence. She didn’t expect Quinn to be so reckless as to try and fondle her meters away from Shelby, but still. Sharing a bed with Shelby seemed less risky in the end. Even the most platonic mothers and daughters slept in the same bed sometimes. Quinn wouldn’t have suspected a thing. Right?

She was about ready to follow her mother and heckle her over the issue in private until Shelby rummaged quickly for the first pair of pajamas she could find, taking large steps towards the bathroom and promptly shutting the door, ending all arguments there.

***

They drove up to a local restaurant a few hours later, fully rested and showered, all in a seemingly better mood than before. Quinn, thankfully appeared to be more at ease and slightly more receptive to any small talk Shelby generated, Rachel also eager to help reduce any tension and encourage them to get along. Her former amusement at Quinn’s distress subsided into mild annoyance. She didn’t care how smitten Quinn was, much less how intimidating her mother came off as at times. After all they’d been through, it seemed absurd for Quinn to be this choked up over a crush. Or… at least that’s what she thought it still was.

Though they’d kept in touch since graduation, they hadn’t spent enough time together around her mother for Rachel to tell whether her infatuation with Shelby had wavered or intensified. In fact, Quinn had made a clear point to avoid coming over ever again after their little incident months before. She’d teased her about it relentlessly over the summer, playfully insisting that Quinn was still more than welcome to come back over to Shelby’s only to have her hastily decline. She’d even hung up on her once after hearing Rachel cackle into the receiver once she’d rejected yet another invitation.

The prospect of them being in the same room together or even the thought of Quinn making some clumsy attempt at coming onto Shelby at some point in the future no longer horrified her but amused her to no end. She’d never once seen Quinn so vulnerable or ready to bolt as she looked whenever her mother was in close vicinity of them. She couldn’t even bring herself to be fully disappointed at their loss to the Troubletones at Nationals, more or less distracted and entertained by how closely Quinn scrambled to her for protection whenever Shelby came within arm’s length of them. She could’ve sworn she even remembered her trembling and attempting to hide behind her when Shelby approached to offer Quinn a ride home afterwards.

Her eyebrows waggled in hidden mischief as she remembered Quinn’s animated denial of her cowardly appearance around Shelby.

 _She doesn’t hate you, you know. I mean, I know she can be scary sometimes, but you don’t see_ me _cowering in a corner._

Her lips peeled into a devious smirk, Quinn delivering a warning kick under the table without Shelby’s knowledge, or so she believed. It was hard to tell at times what was going through Shelby’s head, her voice light and warm, but the smile never quite reaching her eyes.

 _Cowering? I do not_ cower _whenever I see her! And hey, do you not remember Corcoran coming after me with a hairbrush, ‘cause I sure as fuck do!_

Quinn gave a slight roll of her eyes at the memory. Granted, she knew she could be a bit rigid in Shelby’s presence, as she deservedly should’ve been after the few, fumbled dumbass run-ins she’d had with her lately. But to insist she acted like a bumbling cartoon character was a bit of a stretch.

_You treat her like a ghost. Santana isn’t even that fucking scared of her. And she’s actually okay with you coming over again. She’s asked a couple of times._

Quinn remembered her eyebrows nearly shooting into her hair. After wreaking havoc on the rest of McKinley, fucking her daughter and perving onto her in her own crippled way, she couldn’t imagine _what_ reason Shelby would have to ask about her coming over ever again. Then again, given her undoubted suspicions, Rachel very well could’ve just been fucking with her.

_No, she hasn’t._

Her impish grin still in place, Rachel nudged her back, momentarily forgetting herself with her mother in such close proximity. She looked to her for any lingering, suspicious looks, relieved to have Shelby only smile back at her and give her knee a gentle, loving squeeze. As if on cue, Quinn’s own nimble fingers crept over to link with hers, safely hidden under the table. She felt her heart warm over, a dark flush coloring her cheeks as her gaze flickered back and forth between them for a split second before falling back to her plate. She pondered to herself the same startling question that had bothered her over the past several weeks, the two of them staged in a half circle around her, catching her in something she very likely had no business being tangled into in the first place.

Stupid and contradicting everything she’d told herself since that first session with Quinn, she had to ask.

Was it possible to love two women?

God, she had a hard time figuring out who that was even directed towards anymore, Quinn’s staunch avoidance of Shelby coupled with her own growing feelings enough to give her pause. As heavily as she’d denied her mother’s insistence that Quinn cared about her, she’d felt it and continued to feel it whenever they talked or whenever Quinn touched and held her without being prompted to do so.

Truth be told, she wasn’t at all opposed to having Quinn in her life after graduation. But how would it even be possible to stay so involved and to what extent did Quinn even want to be connected with her after this? How did _she_ want Quinn to be involved? It should’ve been dead obvious even when she’d snuggled up closer to her under the blanket all those nights, a few wispy blonde locks falling down to tickle her cheek as Quinn’s head lowered over her own. Still, it didn’t make any damn sense, what with Quinn’s undying infatuation with Shelby and Rachel’s own deep affections for her mother. There was nothing, other than the comforting development in closeness that could’ve— _should’ve_ —fed into any sort of attraction. And, yet there _was_ something beneath the surface.

Touching her had been one thing, a duality of comfort and adventure in and of itself. At times, it was hard to tell where Rachel’s experience ended and Quinn’s began. In its own way, it vaguely reminded her of those first awkward living room cuddles with Shelby and the swift turn of events that followed. It was never slow or methodical in the way it often was with Shelby, whose excursions with women far outweighed both of theirs combined. Rather, it could often times be quite sporadic and clumsy, oddly endearing and sensual all the same. Well, about as sensual as two former dueling teenaged girls could be when awkwardly trying to figure out what worked or didn’t work. They couldn’t rely on body language alone the way she easily could with Shelby, choppy bits of banter and scolding tossed in between every nip, pinch and caress. At times, it felt like leading a seminar.

_Look, there’s a way you can do this without feeling like you’re trying to murder me. Loosen your fingers a bit._

_Longer strokes. No… no, not there, you idiot. Come on!_

_If you’re gonna bite, at least try to start up a rhythm, first. Don’t just charge the fuck in like you’ve got fuckin’ rabies…_

_Little less slobber, Shaggy…_

_Fuck off with that._

She choked back her laughter in between sips of Pepsi, Shelby and Quinn both stopping to shoot her dubious looks in the midst of a conversation she’d long since tuned out of. She spied a sideways glance at the half empty bottle of Corona Shelby felt oddly comfortable ordering in front of Quinn, other inopportune memories coming to light.

It had probably been a bad idea for Quinn’s mother to leave them alone for so long, but she never would’ve expected Quinn to take advantage of it the way she had those last couple of nights before they took off on their respective senior trips. And heaven knows she never would’ve expected the Fabrays’ wine collection to be so vast and easily accessible. It was a wonder Quinn’s mother never noticed anything missing or said a word if she did. Rachel thankfully knew enough to say when, Quinn indulging in front of her more than she cared to see, though it was interesting to catch little glimpses into her headspace she normally wouldn’t have heard before. It was hard to tell when to laugh or cry in the middle of Quinn’s haphazard ramblings.

_Psst. Wanna hear a joke?_

_No._

_Pff. Dahmer was a vegetarian._

_Fuck. You. Go to sleep._

_If we shot our own porn, what would you wanna call it? Cut vs. Uncut? Heh. No, wait. That’s Puck and Finn. Psh. Pinn. Heh. Fuck. Pfah! Fuck, fuck, fuck—_

_Go to sleep._

_Hey, if I die, give the rest of my lotion to Mr. Shue. Even the scented kind. He’ll need it more than I will._

_I will smother you!_

_Heh, Sannie used to say the same thing. Even before she got implants…_

In between quiet little nuzzlings, Quinn buried knuckle deep in her core, mouth flush against her ear.

_Je préfère ton nez plus ta chatte._

When she later found out what it meant.

 _Okay, first off,_ fuck _you. Second, pretty sure you didn’t even fucking pronounce it right!_

Quinn huddled close and cocooned to her side, dry sobbing into her chest like a six-year-old.

_You don’t even give a shit about me! Both of you are just gonna fuck off somewhere and never talk to me again. You’re gonna forget about me. Just like Britt, just like Sannie, just like Beth—_

_You gave Beth away, sweetie, remember? She didn’t leave anybody…_

_Man,_ fuck _Beth and fuck you! Fuck all the damn babies, fuck all of you and fuck Lima! In the ass, with a stiletto and a chainsaw and a cactus and so much more! As full of shit as this place is, anything can fit up there!_

In the stark silence that followed once Quinn had finally cooled off and dozed open-mouthed against her breast, she was forced to wonder what she meant. She’d explicitly said that not one but _both_ of them would leave and forget about her.

She supposed it should’ve bothered her on some level, but after having Shelby smash into her again, how easily they were able to bounce back after a night of one night stands—or, in Rachel’s case, one night continued—she felt her insecurities melt away. And of course she wasn’t moving on no matter what Shelby had said before! Not when she resolved to melt into her mother every night even after a heady session in Quinn’s bed or the backseat of Judy’s car. Even after rinsing her mouth or scrubbing Quinn’s blood out from under her fingernails, she’d still devote herself to Shelby. It never failed.

Even with the unspoken—on the sober side of her, at least—knowledge of Quinn’s hidden interest, she was still confident their relationship, and the unconventional dynamics it came with, would never die, in New York, Lima or any given setting. There was no doubt in her mind Shelby was fully aware of Quinn’s feelings for her at this point. Quinn had long since lost her ability to run and hide. Still, it was the least bit threatening. Her mother no longer made any subtle attempts to push her away and she seemed to show less and less shame over their continued affection and nightly reunion.

She swore she wouldn’t risk breaking Shelby’s heart again and she still had no earthly desire to leave her regardless of whoever came along or whatever distance they’d be forced to endure once their lives began in New York. Still, how was she supposed to make sense of whatever _this_ even was? She wasn’t even sure what to call them at this point. They were about as stubborn over labels as Brittany and Santana had originally been.

She remembered a similar inner conflict after she’d first touched Shelby years ago, but those circumstances, needless to say, had been very different from these and there were other relationship dynamics to balance. Besides, she hadn’t known Shelby at all before, making that ultimate collision and the transition somewhat easier, whereas she had known Quinn practically most of her life. How they’d evolved from clichéd enemies to whatever they were now was beyond her. They’d certainly put each other through the ringer and still made it this far, formerly hurling insults and slushies and now engaging in light table footsie and goose grabs in Quinn’s childhood bedroom. Quinn was still very much here, at times clutching onto her like a security blanket.

And it actually felt quite nice. Most of the time, anyway.

Silly and awkward as those initial touches could be, the aftermath of close snuggles and breathy kisses won her over. There’d been no real time to stop and cherish each other the first time she went down so it was refreshing and even cute to see, albeit quite annoying at times. Quinn had, over time, proven to be a fairly aggressive sleeper, with or without the assistance of alcohol, often battering and bruising her legs and thighs or occasionally yanking her hair or an earlobe. Rachel had once taken up the task of timing it out, Quinn writhing and kicking for a full half hour before succumbing to sleep and leaving her very little time to rest up before going home.

On some level, she felt it was some perverse form of punishment for all the times she’d stolen sleep from Shelby, unable to explain herself as she stumbled into the master suite and fallen into her mother’s arms without her usual libidinous pep. After one particular visit to Quinn’s, she hadn’t even bothered to tease or reciprocate, Shelby taking full rein and never once asking about the marring bruises her tongue traveled over in the ascent between Rachel’s knees.

She felt a shuddering breath pass through her when she considered the greater implications, musing internally how Shelby or Quinn’s arms typically would’ve been there to tighten reflexively around her. She knew well enough she could’ve embarked on something else if she really wanted to. Given how vulnerable she and Quinn had become around each other and Shelby’s constant affirmation that everything would be okay, it wouldn’t have been hard. On the outside looking in, the glee club had long since been reduced to one big orgy over the years, so it wouldn’t have come as a total surprise to anyone. At the same time, her feelings, daughterly and romantic, for Shelby still remained. Where the _fuck_ did Quinn fall into all of this? How was she even able to occupy the same space with her after fucking around with her _and_ unwillingly making her attraction to Shelby known?

She’d done her best to stay discreet, of course, often having to remind Quinn she still had to go home before she could take a huge chomp out of her neck, or anywhere else now that she thought about it. She’d once made the unfortunate mistake of returning to Shelby’s bed with damning bruises beneath her ear and on the side of her breast. Thankfully, her mother hadn’t asked but her reticence worried Rachel to no end. If she had any sudden inkling as to where those marks had come from, she gave no sign of it, continued to religiously bed her every night, regardless. Still, Shelby wasn’t a fool. She had to have known, without a doubt, that she hadn’t been the one to leave sloppy reminders like that all over her daughter. She never would, no matter how heavy their sessions could be. And she still accepted her warmly and unconditionally in their innocent cuddles and the events following after. And, of course, Rachel still wanted her, as she always would.

Even with a third pair of hands joining in deep in her twisted imagination. God, she was backsliding worse than she could’ve imagined!

Shocking as it was for Shelby to extend an invitation to their trip in the first place, for Quinn to accept so easily was all the more surprising. She wondered if there was an underlying punishment or revelation brewing underway. Was this Shelby’s way of coaxing her into moving on permanently? Did Quinn know something she didn’t? Had she been in on this the whole time? Her paranoia getting the best of her, she struggled to keep still, half tempted to get up and start pacing around the block a couple of times to clear her head. She fought to stay engaged as they prattled on around her, hoping neither of them picked up on how distant she felt as she stopped to consider their motivation.

“You looking forward to New Haven?” Shelby asked between bites.

“I guess,” Quinn responded with a light shrug, chasing a piece of meat around on her plate. “I think Mom’s looking forward to me being out of the house.”

“I doubt that,” she chuckled, though internally, she found Quinn’s comment a tad bit unsettling. The last thing she wanted to do was interfere with another disjointed family setting similar to the Berry household, though Judy at least seemed more heavily involved than Rachel’s fathers attempted to be.

“What are you gonna do for the Troubletones this year?”

“Oh, Ray didn’t tell you?”

“What?”

She beamed over in Rachel’s direction, her daughter’s mouth stretching into a crooked smile around her straw. “This was my first and last year at McKinley.”

Quinn paused mid-bite to look at her. “Seriously?”

“I’m afraid so. The Troubletones have come to an end.”

“What about Brittany and Sugar? What about the others?”

“The Cheerios won’t miss anything,” she laughed with a dismissive flap of her hand. “Most of them were graduating anyway. Plus, they really only stayed for Santana. Besides, Brittany and Sugar will be fine. Mr. Shue will take them back easily enough. I’ve spoken with Sugar’s father and he’s agreed to help fund New Directions until she graduates. As long as she keeps her attitude in check, everything should be fine.”

“That won’t last long,” Rachel chimed in, Shelby giving her a scolding nudge under the table.

“You don’t know that.”

“No, but I can guess.”

Quinn nodded in agreement. “I don’t know how you put up with her in the first place.” As enduring as Mr. Shue’s patience was, he could barely tolerate Sugar for even a week. There was no telling how much she’d worn on Shelby’s nerves over the full course of the year.

“It wasn’t easy,” she muttered, eliciting snickers from them both. “She could dance well, though. I’ll give her that.”

“And Finn could _kinda_ dance,” Quinn remarked. “A weak link is a weak link.”

Rachel barely managed to stifle an oncoming spit-take. “You’re so mean….”

“No, you and Mr. Shue were just too fuckin’ nice,” she said, her gruff laughter dying short at the sight of Shelby’s brow arching in reproach.

Rachel’s gaze swept over, nearly missing the swift change in Quinn’s features. Her face mottled red, eyes dropping submissively down to her plate as she squirmed and shifted to cross her legs. Rachel choked over the wry chuckle rumbling at the back of her throat. Quinn’s reaction couldn’t have been any less subtle if Shelby had just thrown her over her knee then and there. She felt her own thighs squeeze shut at the sudden image, Quinn thankfully deflecting before her mind could linger on it any further.

_Q, I fuckin’ hate you..._

“Well, you were good competition. You’ll definitely be missed.”

_You and that ballbuster vibe you give off so fuckin’ well…_

“I doubt it.”

“So, where will you go after this? Back to Carmel?”

“Oh, god no. They’ve got crazy people over there now. There’s far too much drama out there, even for me.”

After the egging instance with Jesse and the back and forth mutiny with New Directions, she’d had more than enough. She didn’t even want to imagine what levels of tyrannical idiocy they’d sunken to under Dustin’s thumb. The fact that Jesse had eventually come back to take over after the damage he’d inflicted made her want to vomit.

“Then, where?”

She shared a sideways glance with Rachel once again, eyes lit with love and adoration. She took a chance and reached over to give her daughter’s knee an affectionate squeeze. Out the corner of her eye, Quinn’s expression remained open and waiting, devoid of any shock or disgust she expected. “I… _we_ are going to New York.”

“So, you’ll be back on stage or…?”

“We can hope,” Rachel piped up, playfully bumping Shelby’s knee.

“No,” Shelby laughed. “I’ve actually taken up another coaching job. It’s only about half an hour away from NYADA, so we won’t be too far apart after all. Not gonna lie, I was a bit shocked they had any serious demand for coaches up there.”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“It’s just different up there. Different time, different windows of opportunity. I applied later than I should have, so I really wasn’t expecting to hear back for a while.”

Quinn nodded. “So, I’m guessing you’ll be living together again?”

“That’s the plan,” Rachel said, the smile never leaving her face.

“Would it be wrong for me to fly out there sometime?”

Twin looks of shock snapped in her direction, giving her the sudden impulse to fiddle with her hands. Their answering silence stung, Quinn soon regretting she’d even made the mistake of asking in the first place. It felt silly, stupid even. In a few short months, they would all be miles away from each other, so caught up in the everyday hassles of work and school they’d barely have any time set aside to talk or text regularly. She knew enough after a handful of the upperclassmen before them left the Cheerios. Some things simply never evolved beyond high school. Her communication and relationship with Rachel would very likely wane over time like many others before it.

She had no idea what she was expecting of Shelby. In spite of her sprouting affection over the years and the spastic bits of dialogue registered between them here and there, they barely knew each other. Considering she could barely say two words to her without staring at her tits for too long, she didn’t understand how Shelby could stand to invite her out anywhere. After one shitty attempt to make a move months ago, she’d given up, considering herself lucky to have and hold onto one even if she couldn’t have both. She could never really tell if Shelby had been totally genuine in her attempts to be friendly since that sad, pathetic encounter, forever afraid of being cornered and skinned alive if left alone with her for too long. Her mind unwillingly traced back to the brief exchange she’d had with her mother before she dropped her off at the airport.

_Call me when you can. Just to see if you’re okay. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to._

Before she had the chance to say anything else, revoke her request, Shelby’s arm stretched over in a blur, Quinn’s blush darkening as a warm hand folded gently over one of her own. From her spot between them, Rachel swore she felt her heart skip a beat, be it from Quinn’s shy inquiry or how warmly her mother reacted to it.

“Of course you can, Q,” Shelby finally said, masking her awe at the smile that graced Quinn’s lips. “Whenever you can find the time, there’s always a plane ticket with your name on it. We’d be more than happy to have you.”

Then, as quickly as it came, Shelby’s hand was gone, exposing her skin to the cool, damp air wafting over them. She did her best to contain the goofy grin creeping over her face, mentally unsure of what to make of her touch, though her body seemed to have perfect understanding. She kept her eyes lowered submissively to her plate, suppressing the inner craving to have Shelby’s hand hike up her knee if she could, maybe have Rachel straddling her leg, breasts exposed.

_Aw fuck, man! What are you doing?!_

She coughed and reached for her drink, folding her legs tightly over each other. She resisted the urge to readjust the hem of her dress and jerk it down over her knees again, fearing Shelby would feel her gesture had been unwelcome if she squirmed too much. Her toes lightly grazed Rachel’s as she moved, Quinn peering up at her in apology and catching a glimmer of mirth and comfort in her eyes before fixing her attention back to her neglected food.

Rachel’s eyes swiveled back and forth between them, unable to make sense of her own feelings as she attempted to gauge Shelby’s reaction hidden behind the cool, passive expression she often employed when facing off the competition. Following Quinn’s example, she ate mechanically, both so preoccupied they failed to notice Shelby’s lips quivering into a slight, hopeful smile.

Things could only continue to go uphill from here. She could feel it, make damn sure of it. It was only a matter of time. Hours. Minutes at that, depending on how quickly the girls could scarf down their dinner. She dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a square black napkin, waving over their server for the check.

***

Quinn plopped down on the bed closest to the window, Shelby retreating to the bathroom to freshen up while Rachel slipped into something more comfortable, thinking the entire time. Quinn attempted a bit of idle conversation in Shelby’s absence, Rachel the least bit responsive, sensing there was something coming. Though it wasn’t necessarily anything unpleasant, the fact that she couldn’t quite make out what it was irked her all the same. Quinn gave up and flipped on the TV, sifting through random channels until Shelby returned, fastening the ties of her robe.

Shelby warded off the impulse to grin, both girls clearly amazed that she was willing to be so lax and underdressed in front of Quinn. “Alright,” she said, smiling. “All yours, Q.”

She scrambled off the bed, much too fast for their unending amusement, hunting down the first set of pajamas she could find before rushing off and leaving mother and daughter alone for the first time since they landed.

Shelby perched on the edge of the bed, Rachel crawling over to nestle herself under her arm. “What’s the matter, baby girl? You gettin’ a little sleepy on me?”

She shook her head, crooning and succumbing as Shelby’s fingers drifted up to caress the back of her neck. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” she asked, dropping a loving kiss to the tip of her nose. “Are you not having a good time?”

“No, no.” Her lips parted in a slow grin, Shelby’s hand working soothingly up and down her back as she circled an arm around to pull her into her lap. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” She lowered her voice, wary of the third party behind the door both wrongly believed would stay closed. “It’s better than I expected, actually. I’m glad you brought her,” she answered honestly, Shelby’s soft chuckle breezing into her hair.

She lifted her head, their eyes meeting briefly before she seized the chance to raise her mouth to Shelby’s one last time before Quinn reappeared. Shelby wordlessly obliged, both of them heedless of the hazel set of eyes fixated on them through a crack in the bathroom door.

Careful not to disturb them, Quinn remained eerily still and silent, not exactly put off or disgusted but nonetheless curious as to what lay ahead of her. Though she was sure she should’ve been offended somehow, she debated whether or not to feel surprised in the slightest. After all this time, it should’ve been obvious on some level, what with the strange safe distance they maintained at school, their lingering interactions in front of her thus far, the adoring, thinly contained looks she caught that ventured past the realm of familial relationships, not to mention how protective they’d proven themselves to be over each other as of late. To any outsider, it would’ve all made sense from the get go. For her to pick up on it this slowly and after two years of knowing them, for fuck’s sake, made her feel borderline retarded.

Unwillingly, she found herself harkening back to the disturbing conversation she’d held with her own mother upon first receiving news of Shelby’s invitation.

***

“I think you should go,” Judy suggested over a plate of spaghetti.

“I don’t,” she remarked under her breath, twirling a long, winding noodle around her fork.

“It’s free,” she reminded in a light, sing-song voice. “Awfully generous on a teacher’s salary, too.”

“Carmel’s booster club gave her enough to buy a friggin’ Range Rover and now Sugar’s dad’s given her enough to buy a full mansion of gigolos. I don’t think money’s ever been a serious problem for this woman at all.”

“I doubt that, but I digress,” she said, standing to clear her plate. “You should go. It’ll be good for you. Explore your affections there.”

Quinn stopped mid-bite, marinara dribbling down the side of her mouth. “What?”

“Well, sweetie, she’s certainly not your teacher anymore, now is she? Plus, I’ve heard she’s leaving the school anyway, so it’s not like she’ll be forced to carry the stigma of fucking a former student anyway.”

“Mom!” she cried, her fork clattering loudly against her plate as she fumbled for a napkin.

“Though I have to say, I am curious as to how that would work now that you’re sleeping with her daughter as well…”

“Oh, my god. Can we please just stop?” she pleaded, louder than she meant to, face tinged red. “What are you even talking about?”

“Shelby, isn’t it?” her mother pondered aloud. “You’d think I would’ve remembered by now for all the times you’ve ogled her at competition.”

“Mom!”

“I suppose you didn’t think I would notice.”

Quinn sputtered helplessly. “I wasn’t… I mean I never—“

“Quinnie,” she said, finally turning to face her. “Your father’s not here anymore. You don’t have to hide things from me. So, you like girls. Two, apparently. I can take a hint.”

“What hint? I mean, how—“

“…long have I known?” she asked with a playful smile. “Which part? About you or about her. Or… them, I should say, now that I think about it.”

Quinn could only stare, mouth agape, her mother’s grin widening at every beat of silence that followed. “I’m so lost…”

“Well,” she continued, “about you, just in general, a while now.”

“About me?” she inquired softly, afraid to hear her elaborate.

Judy’s head cocked to one side. “Well, who else do you think made sure your father was out of the house whenever you’d bring Santana over?”

“Oh, my fuck…” she murmured to herself, her appetite stalled as she felt the need to shrivel up and somehow disappear. While her mother’s reaction was thankfully not as explosive as she’d come to expect after announcing her pregnancy years before, she didn’t count on it being this blasé or blunt by any means.

“Though I have to say, I would’ve much preferred hearing her speak Spanish under very different circumstances.”

“Mom! _Jesus_ …”

“I’m glad you two are still just friends. After a while, you probably would’ve killed each other.”

She felt her stomach coil, her back tensing as she waited for her to comment any further. They might as well tackle the issue now, what with Shelby and Rachel’s trip right around the corner and her mother bringing the subject to light so casually. “And?”

Judy shrugged indifferently. “I’ve been waiting on you to tell me about Rachel a lot sooner than this. As for… _Corcoran_ ,” she teased on that note, noting how her daughter almost always refused to drop her first name in conversation as if afraid to break some unspoken sacrament.

Quinn stopped to brush her fingers through her hair.

“…I guess about as long as you’ve known about Mr. Shue fucking your ex-boyfriend.”

“Which one…?” Quinn muttered bleakly, burying her face in her hands.

“Quinnie,” she said, pulling up a chair next to her and dragging her frigid body into her lap. “What you’re feeling is perfectly normal. I remember having my own set of teacher crushes a hundred years ago.”

Quinn’s eyes slid uneasily over. “How do you even have her number?”

“Well, she’s in the directory, first off,” she said, brushing a few stray hairs out of her daughter’s face. “You and Rachel were spending more time together, so it made sense to have it just in case. Besides, who do you think told me where you were after you slept over?”

Quinn’s face reddened with every word.

“A little old for you, but she’s cautious. I’ll give her that,” she remarked lightly, tapping her gently on the nose. “You don’t have to run away like a little girl every time she sees you. You’re not really hiding anything.”

Quinn’s eyes never left her serene expression. “You’re not gonna kill her, are you?”

“No,” she chuckled. “Even after all your little adventures with Rachel, she’s kept things professional. I’m grateful she at least had the common sense to wait. Given how some of those other morons up there have acted in the past couple of years, that’s about all I can ask for. To this day, I have no idea how Sue and Will still have their jobs.”

She mused on that last note and privately agreed, thankful that she and the pair in question were far and away from McKinley now. “And you’re not mad? Like, at all?”

“Mad, no. Concerned, yes. You’re technically with one of them already, so I have no idea how you plan on pursuing the other. And Rachel seems like more than enough to handle alone. Then again, if Santana and Brittany ever approached you together, I doubt you’d have a hard time juggling them.” At her daughter’s bemused and horrified look, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, sweetheart. Believe me, after the grief of watching you carry Noah’s child and terrorize half of the student body, finding out about you wanting to fuck your teacher and her daughter is the least of my worries at this point.”

Her gaze landed quizzically on the floor, her mother’s reaction so comically lax it bordered on insanity. “Daddy would have a stroke.”

She reached up to give her a light pinch of the cheek. “Well, it’s a good thing he doesn’t exist around these parts anymore.” She tapped her hip, signaling for her to get up so she could stand. “I think you should go. See how it works out instead of sulking around here. It’s about time you made a move. I don’t see either of them rejecting you in the end.” She stopped as Quinn’s hand wrapped around her wrist.

“If I go,” she said slowly, “you’re not gonna kill them, right?” She had no idea what to expect of this trip in the near future, but she sure as hell didn’t look forward to the prospect of her mother ending up in jail before she ran off to New Haven.

Judy blinked. “Have I killed Rachel after all the times she’s come over here? Or Noah after you got pregnant?”

“I mean, no, but—“

She clasped her hands firmly into her own. “Sweetheart, I promised I wouldn’t leave you again after your father left and I meant it, no matter what you get yourself into. As long as you finish college, come see me for the holidays and don’t get pregnant again, I’ll be okay. After staying in this god forsaken place for so long, I’ve given up on things being normal anymore. Either Russell and I messed up somewhere along the lines of raising you, or maybe Lima’s just cursed. But I’m glad you’re still alive.”

Quinn could only stand stock still, at a loss for words even as her mother gave her a goodnight peck on the cheek.

“They’re good women. You should be fine, have plenty of fun. I’ve already accepted on your behalf, so…”

Her eyes flew up to her mother disappearing up the stairs. _”What?!”_

***

Rachel’s languid moans pulled her back to the present, Quinn waiting for the right time to make her presence known. Mother and daughter drew apart slowly, Rachel’s cheek connecting with Shelby’s chest, which Quinn suddenly noticed remained totally bare beneath the robe. Her eyes cast down to a pair of firm, pale legs and thighs, barely covered by a slanted cross-section of the material.

“I’ve missed this,” Rachel murmured, toying with the fuzzy ties, half tempted to rip them open and expose her mother right then, regardless of how Quinn might’ve reacted. Her mother’s laughter vibrated over the top of her head.

“It’s barely been a day, princess,” she reminded, her tone playful and chastising. They’d shared an eventful night for good measure before resting up for the early flight that morning, Shelby cherishing the feel of Rachel malleable beneath her one last time before the trip’s festivities either blew up in her face or went according to her haphazard plan.

Thinking now was as good a time as any, Quinn finally decided to show herself, the squeak of the door hinges shocking Rachel into leaping out of her mother’s lap, silently cursing herself for daring to get so close to Shelby in the first place. In Rachel’s absence, Shelby’s arm fell gently away, not a trace of panic to be seen as she smiled over at her. Given what she’d planned on embarking with them in the next hour—minutes?—there was little use in hiding their true dynamics any longer. As far as she was concerned, their interactions thus far had given Quinn ample opportunity to show disgust if she had any to begin with.

“You alright?”

They looked to each other, unsure of who it was directed towards this time. Thankfully, Quinn answered first, Rachel positive she would faint.

“Yeah,” she said with a forceful bob of her head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Her smile broadened as she turned and patted her daughter’s knee. “Your turn, then, princess.”

“Wait,” Quinn objected suddenly, Rachel halting at the chance to bolt away. She swallowed thickly as they waited, unsure of how to pose the question that’d been nagging at the back of her mind since they’d taken flight. There was no telling how either would respond.

“What is it, sweetie?” Shelby prompted patiently.

Her gaze traced back and forth between them, unable to meet either of their inquisitive glances for too long, her cheeks burning. The television had been dialed low in her absence, the muffled commentary of a long-forgotten sitcom barely mediating the silent tension looming over them.

She breathed in finality. “Why am I here?”

Shelby’s stomach plunged with guilt, her mind reeling as she slammed headfirst into the prospect of what could happen now. When she’d initially planned this trip, she admittedly hadn’t thought this far, worrying more or less about how well the girls would get on with each other—more specifically how Quinn would react to both of them—before even considering how to bring them all together. She felt the blood drain her face, Rachel following Quinn’s expectant gaze, Shelby’s never ending silence leaving much to be desired. An all too familiar lump lodged its way at the back of her throat. Once again, she’d managed to tangle herself in something she very likely had no business meddling into in the first place, starting something that would never be completely finished or fully resolved in the end. Yet, she’d acted on it anyway, trusted her first instinct just as she had when she hopped on that plane back to Lima three years ago, contacted Rachel, brought her permanently into her life and bed in spite of the accompanying risks and shady outcomes to follow.

She couldn’t explain what was wrong with her, what drove her to this point over and over, even as she rose stoically to her feet, striding purposefully over to Quinn, the drumming of her own violent heartbeat the only sound filling her ears as she cupped the back of her neck and brought her forward.

“Testing a theory,” she husked in a low whisper, her mouth rushing up into Quinn’s before she even had the chance to formulate a proper response.

She felt the girl’s body tense and loosen in a matter of seconds, Quinn gasping quietly into her mouth as she allowed herself to fully adapt to the sensation of having Shelby against her. A pair of tentative hands wandered up to explore the fine contours of Shelby’s back, her lips parting and meeting with newfound confidence of their own accord. She’d envisioned this moment so many times, albeit in a far more outlandish setting than this, maybe in a stuffy old classroom back in Lima, propped up on Shelby’s desk, spread open and waiting before her, head ducked low, Rachel’s small fingers working deftly where her mother’s mouth and tongue worked.

Her eyes shot open as she remembered the other person in question stationed inches away behind them. Her harried gaze swept over Shelby’s shoulder, gaping back at Rachel’s dark eyes in alarm. Tempted to pull away, stammer through a full battery of apologies, she studied her friend’s expression. Against her better judgement, she stayed rooted to the spot, Shelby’s arms engulfing her, hands sliding up and down her arms as she watched Rachel’s face light up with something totally foreign to what she’d come to expect. Not a trace of hurt, anger or resentment to be found, but something reminiscent of her own reaction to seeing her interact so closely with Shelby, maybe a slight tint of shock minus disappointment, almost as if she’d been expecting something like this to happen in the long run. Soft moans passed over her lips, Shelby’s mouth and hands commanding her eyes to grind shut again.

Rachel watched it all play out before her, a scene straight out of one of her demented fantasies, practically unreal, the smack of their lips and shift of their bare skin colliding sounding vividly over the background noise of the television. She couldn’t fight the derisive snort issuing past her lips.

_This is happening…_

It was only a matter of time. She should’ve guessed it sooner. It sure as hell explained how strange her mother had been acting up until this point, how quickly that carefully guarded mask seemed to slip away within just a few hours of them being away from home. Fully faced with the reality of what lay before her, she had virtually no idea how to react, how to intervene or if she even felt the need to. For a moment, she felt content to watch, see how well they melted into each other, wondering if they’d either jerk away from each other and leave in panic or fall into each other then and there and forget about her completely. Then, Quinn’s eyes snapped open to meet hers, conveying a thousand apologies and explanations all at once but unable to pull away. Under the work of their hands, soft traces of skin turned up bare, a peek of Shelby’s shoulder under the robe, the rise of Quinn’s thigh under the climbing hem of her shirt, the only article she cared to put on, she noticed. A light tremor whistled up between her knees.

She got up to leave, unsure of where to go or how to respond and momentarily believing she had been neglected in the heat of the moment. The rustle of sheets caught Shelby’s ears. She felt her mother’s impending green glare slide over in her direction. Still, she refused to turn back, distrusting every primal impulse firing within her and beckoning her to dive right in, totally unaware she wouldn’t be given much of a choice.

Shelby’s eyes followed her every move, one arm securing tightly about Quinn’s waist as she moved them in a short sidestep in Rachel’s direction. Oh, no. This simply wouldn’t do. She couldn’t stand to let her daughter storm off at a time like this.

With a startling quickness, her free hand shot out and seized Rachel’s wrist, yanking her over with a surprised yelp as she stumbled backwards into their waiting arms. Before she could fully withstand to protest, Shelby’s arm snaked around her waist, Quinn’s own coming to join at the small of her back as she found herself trapped in between them. Shelby’s lips came slickly away from Quinn’s mouth to latch fully onto her daughter’s, muting any oncoming objections and bending her effortlessly. Rachel moaned appreciatively into her mother’s mouth, her body dripping into their combined touch as Quinn’s lips soon occupied themselves on the side of her neck. Her hands flew up to clutch at them both, for closeness, stability, for certainty that everything happening was indeed real.

Remembering they were all still fully clothed, she lowered the hand over her daughter’s hip to rip the end of her shirt up and over her head, the rest of them soon following suit, yanking and tearing away until their clothes landed in a disheveled heap on the floor behind them. Shelby barely had enough time to register the two of them being in the moment with her, less than a fraction of a minute to absorb the sensation of having them bared before her when they pounced flush against her, nipping and pawing at every inch of milky white beneath their fingertips. She gathered them close, walking them backwards until they collapsed onto the bed, edging all the way back to allow them to fully lay across her.

Quinn froze halfway, hanging back to examine the sight before her, Rachel lying astride her mother’s form and fastening their lips together again. Shelby’s free arm, once wrapped around Quinn’s slender frame, came to link around and pull her daughter in closer, one of Rachel’s hands traveling down to cup a heavy, pliant breast and mold it gently. Quinn emitted a low sound she never expected to hear, watching Rachel’s tiny thumb circle a rouging nipple, listening to the encouraging moans that followed. She stopped to take in the subtle differences between them, Shelby’s long alabaster legs extending a few inches past her daughter’s own tanned limbs, the darker contrast of Rachel’s areola, the exact same hue to the scruff of curls sifting between their legs. There was no doubt how beautifully they blended together, be it in song, mind and body. To this day, it stunned her into anticipatory silence, an audible gulp heard over the continuous smack of their lips.

Shelby’s eyes cut past Rachel’s shoulder to Quinn poised on her haunches behind them, watching intently. Their eyes locked in a heartbeat, Quinn’s nipples tensing as she found herself centered in that deep, emerald gaze. Shelby’s eyes softened as she fell reluctantly away from Rachel’s reddened mouth. She looked away before scooping her daughter’s chin into her fingers, searching for any hint of uncertainty, though the look in her eyes, the way her body reacted in kind levied more than enough unspoken assent. Quinn waited patiently at a distance, awed by how in tune and responsive they were to each other, their well-established ease and comfort reflected in one single, solitary gaze.

Wordlessly, they turned back to her, Quinn’s knees threatening to buckle and crumble beneath her as they beckoned her over with one combined stare. She crept forward as if in a deep trance, fading in the heat of their embrace. Soon, they were caught in a swarming tangle of dueling hands and limbs, Shelby unsure of where to keep her eyes for too long, or whether to keep them open at all, the pair battling for a taste of her mouth, a quick grace of her fingers here and there. For a moment, she was sure she’d faint from sensory overload, Rachel’s nails biting and raking up the inside of her thigh as she suctioned her lips once again, savoring the taste of her mother’s luscious mouth as Quinn’s teeth snagged a hold of one of her nipples. Quinn’s eyes flew up to linger on the adoring set of lips locked in earnest above her, one hand gliding between them to fondle Shelby’s neglected breast. She groaned hungrily around the stiffening bundle worried between her teeth, the sensation of Shelby’s firm, malleable breast yielding in her hand enough to drive a shock straight to her cunt.

God, she hadn’t copped a solid feel in weeks, remembering how reluctant and scared she’d been that first time, how brazen and blunt Rachel had been in encouraging her to touch her in the first place. She nearly laughed into Shelby’s skin, the memory cutting across and fading as quickly as it came. Rachel’s subdued whimpers droned above her, compelling her to release her kneading grip of Shelby’s breast and fist her hand into Rachel’s dark locks, snatching her head back to claim her mouth again. Her arms fumbled around to lock over Quinn’s shoulders, the lavish taste of Shelby’s mouth still fresh between them.

Shelby let her eyes sweep over them in wonder, mildly amused at how content she found herself to simply watch them devour each other, her own legs fixed between them and serving as their only obstacle in toppling over each other. She shrugged off the impulse to let her twitching fingers drift where she needed them most, pleasure spiking up through her at the sight of their insatiable hands roaming and seizing every uncharted path of skin they could find. Quinn’s low keen wails harped into her ears, the unmistakable metallic rank of blood fuming into her nostrils. Her eyes narrowed in close speculation, her lips splitting into a thin grimace as Rachel’s nails hooked into the smooth, dainty skin of Quinn’s back. Long, jagged lines rose in their wake, red oozing up in slow, dribbling treks over her skin.

She carefully regarded the pained look crossing over Quinn’s face, about ready to intervene as scarlet caked up underneath Rachel’s nails until the girl’s head bowed low in the crook of her daughter’s neck. Rachel’s own features were soon marred with pain, soft mewls escalating into sharp, needy cries. Quinn’s mouth drifted low past her collarbone, punctured red marks coming to light where her mouth once was.

_Fuck, what have I done?_

Her eyes spaced in shock. Not even ten minutes in and the two of them were effectively gnawing and clawing into each other like a pair of vengeful cats. She wondered if her indulgence of Rachel’s fantasies or, better yet, her own crazed pattern of exploration with April years before were to blame. It begged the question, if they were willing to skin each other like this tonight, what the fuck had they done to each other that first time? Or in the dozens of other visits paid to the Fabrays’ house over the past couple of months. She gasped in a short take of breath, Rachel’s hands clutching tighter to Quinn’s bloodied back, cupping the back of her head as Quinn’s teeth gnashed into a swollen, blushing nipple. Over time, she’d come to familiarize herself with the hidden depths of her daughter’s depravity. She hadn’t even come close to entertaining what it would be like to explore Quinn’s, or if there indeed was very much to uncover in the first place.

Before she could stand to dwell on it any longer, she stole them away from each other, snatching them up and into her fold once again, so close it was nearly impossible to breathe. Their legs meshed and deliciously intertwined with hers, she switched her mouth rabidly between the two of them, desperate to lay claim and capture their combined taste all at once. Quinn’s leg hiked up and over her own, the sole of her foot sliding along Rachel’s calf as her heat smeared warmly over Shelby’s thigh. Gathering slow friction there, she ground up against her, one of Shelby’s hands instantly drawn to the accumulating slickness.

Before she could gain her bearing, ride into the hunting digits playing over her center, Quinn found herself being guided onto her back, Shelby withdrawing and shifting over to one side to allow Rachel more room to sidle onto her hip. Mother and daughter’s eyes met for the briefest moment, deep and conceding, Quinn’s own fluttering closed as their warm lips each suctioned a puckered nipple. Her hips stretched forward, Rachel’s hand hooking behind her knee to drag her legs apart as Shelby’s knowing fingers parted her and stroked gently along the delicate flesh hidden beneath a tuft of dirty blonde curls. One of her hands remained curled into Rachel’s smooth dark tresses, the other floating up to cup the back of Shelby’s head until it was caught and pinned flush above her head. Shelby took a chance and held it there, her lips and tongue still madly at work, gauging Quinn for any signs of resistance to being subdued.

Quinn’s head thrashed from side to side, her mind wandering a thousand places all at once, unable to properly make sense of it all. Not even half a year ago, she’d been a flustered teenaged mess lamely coming onto her rival team’s instructor just days after being eaten out by said woman’s daughter. And now, here she was, holed up in a breezy hotel room and promptly couched between them, doing things she’d only previously daydreamed about two years in the making. Everything, fucking _everything_ , from the laws of nature down to the lessons learned in youth group screamed this was wrong. Yet, every fiber of her being, the deep imploring looks shared between them all, kept her thriving and begging for every inch of them, surrendering herself completely to their every whim.

And, _fuck_ , she’d never been particularly good at holding onto any doctrine church had burned in all her life anyway!

Her captured arm wriggled helplessly beneath Shelby’s grip, her other hand forgoing any caution and pretense and delving in perfected motions in and out of the girl’s blossoming center. Rachel’s unoccupied hand came up to interlock with the one still locked firmly in Shelby’s grasp, offering the slightest stability Quinn could find as mother and daughter fiercely manipulated her nipples over and over, her cunt clenching down about Shelby’s attentive fingers.

Rachel peered up at the rush of torment washing over her face as they worked, Quinn struggling fruitlessly against Shelby’s binding hand. She ground with purpose into the leg held fast in her grip, the tactile sensation of releasing Quinn’s breast from between her teeth over and over sending a flood of heat to her own starved cunt. Screwing one leg tightly around Quinn’s, ensuring it would stay firmly rooted in place, she let her fingers ghost over to join her mother’s, thumbing and circling the erect little pearl swelling at her touch. Quinn succumbed with a tortured sigh, Rachel’s eyes meeting her mother’s one last time before they cut off in different directions. She hovered up until Quinn’s choked cries soon vented into her mouth, her mother nipping and teasing her way further down.

As if on command, Quinn’s body jerked in effort to sit up, Rachel’s weight bearing her down as her legs shifted to close around Shelby’s descending frame. Two dark heads lifted in inquiry, Shelby’s eyes widening in concern and flickering back to her daughter for reference. Rachel winced back at her, knowing full well what the problem was before Quinn could stammer through an explanation. She nodded down to the full nest of curls just below Shelby’s waiting mouth, her mother following her gaze with a curt laugh.

As if to prove a point, Shelby draped one of her legs over her shoulder, her eyes never leaving Quinn’s as her lips whisked over the supple inner flesh of her thigh. Her breath casted in warm, gentle waves over her skin as she moved, a light shudder passing through Quinn’s body as her mouth inched lower. She looked to them again, Rachel’s attention half fixed between her mother’s burning gaze and the rise of goosebumps emerging on Quinn’s flushed skin. Quinn’s body trembled in waiting, her legs threatening to quake and snap shut even as Shelby’s mouth dropped low to fasten around her peaked little jewel and give a long, invigorating suck.

Quinn’s head fell numbly back against the pillow, her mouth opening into silent, stunted cries. At some point she couldn’t tell, Rachel’s fingers drifted away from her smooth petals to twirl and close around one of her nipples, her mouth refusing to leave the other one unattended. She let her eyes slam shut to listen as her mother worked below, the slick ministrations of Shelby’s mouth combined with the greedy moans escaping Quinn’s throat fueling the swirling motions of her tongue. Shelby’s own tongue strummed in slow, careful strokes over the perfectly crafted folds beneath, holding out and paying close attention to everything Quinn’s body told her. Quinn’s hips rolled forward, as far as they could go with her thighs locked firmly in Shelby’s grasp. She felt her clit stab into the flattened blade of her tongue, Shelby’s lips suctioning her tightened bundle once again, gently nursing it deeper into her mouth.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her body and mind soon reaching the heady conclusion as to where Rachel had learned such primal skills in the first place. She let her thoughts trace back to that first night, how shocked she’d been that Rachel had even wanted to touch her after years of shared insanity, how she’d more than once found herself imagining a third presence enjoying them together as Rachel’s mouth worked tirelessly between her legs. This had to be a dream. All of it. There was no way in hell they both would’ve wanted her back, reciprocated this fiercely no matter how much she wanted them to. She held to the belief it was all a sad delusion, even as the unmistakable graze of teeth against her breast and vulva swung her headlong into the present.

Pressure built slowly into her abdomen, her toes curling into Shelby’s back as something coiled deep within her. She swore and stilled her hips, balling her fists into the sheets and Rachel’s hair in effort to stabilize herself. To say she was afraid to come in Shelby’s mouth was an understatement at best. She’d surprised herself in being able to fully let go with Rachel that first time and the few occasions long after. It seemed silly, but after a handful of snide, unforgiving remarks she’d received from Puck and even Santana’s own annoyed eye roll after a bit of light petting, she’d developed a new set of bedroom inhibitions over time. To repulse or surprise someone close to her own age was one thing. To scare off someone as refined as Shelby would’ve been a nightmare of epic proportions.

Her jaw hung slack, one hand smacking loudly against the headboard as she fought to get away from that deliciously well-versed tongue.

“Wait,” she protested weakly, the leg held over Shelby’s shoulder tensing as she wriggled to escape.

Rachel’s eyes darted back and forth between them, her mouth unwilling to release the succulent taste of Quinn’s breast. Much to her surprise, Shelby relented, but only just, a fervent thumb pressed where the tip of her tongue once was.

“Look at me,” she commanded, so low and vexing Quinn found it impossible to resist.

She felt her eyes glaze over at the look she was given, silently begging and conveying her apprehension until Shelby’s warm fingers slid into her fleshy channel once again, the hand around her thigh pushing down just under her navel, forcing her to bear down. She halted her erratic breathing to listen, warding off the pressure gathering as she constricted down around her probing digits. Shelby leered up at her.

“Oh, no. You’ll come for me,” she affirmed without question, Quinn having no room to argue as her head bobbed low to ravish her again, kneading and suckling until she was done for.

Her vision clouded over, white rushing to her clenched knuckles as her body convulsed with a sharp, shrill cry. She grew limp beneath them, Shelby drinking in every ounce of her as she cleaned her off.

Shelby delighted at the image, Quinn’s head whipped helplessly to one side, one arm still framed up and above her head, her brows furrowed as Rachel continued to nibble audibly onto a pert, flushed breast. She swallowed and swiped a hand over her mouth before emerging from between Quinn’s splayed, quivering knees, the girl’s chest swelling in the heat of recovery. She cupped the back of her daughter’s neck to draw her attention. No words needed, Rachel craned up to meet her in a heartfelt, openmouthed kiss, losing herself at the touch as Quinn recuperated below them.

“You okay?” Shelby breathed into her.

The incessant nod of her head sent her mother’s chuckle buzzing against her lips. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.” She let her gaze fall on the third occupant shuddering below. “I think you killed her.”

She grinned, withdrawing with one last peck to her temple and dragging the covers up and over them as they settled onto each side of her, Quinn mumbling indistinctly between them. She tucked the edges around both girls before propping herself up onto her elbow, dragging her hand in lazy circles over Quinn’s belly. She trembled, feathery sensitive, before slowly warming under the touch, Rachel offering her own heat and snuggling under her arm as she regained clarity of her surroundings. She opened her eyes with a contented hum, seeking out the faces of the two steadily weighing her back down. Rachel seemed ready to fall asleep then, her breath skimming smoothly over her chest as she laced her fingers with Shelby’s stilled hand. She glanced up to find Shelby surveying her with a smile, not seductive and coy as she might’ve expected, but soft and placating.

“Are you alright, sweetie?”

She guarded her tongue, unsure if she could even form a proper sentence much less utter a single word without it coming out a garbled mess. She offered a short simple nod, Shelby’s smile lengthening as she leaned down for a kiss.

As she drew back, her eyes settled lovingly on her daughter bordering on sleep next to them. Her mind reeling, she searched for Quinn’s eyes again, hazel swiveling back up to her with a single brow lifted in curiosity. Shelby nodded in the opposite direction, Quinn following her well-trained gaze until Rachel felt their combined stare burning into her. She lifted her sleepy eyes up to meet theirs, peering innocently back and forth between them with an adorable yawn.

“What?”

Shelby’s lips cut into a devilish leer, the night far from over in her eyes. Rachel should’ve known better than to nod off at a time like this. At times, her own appetite was much harder to satisfy than her daughter’s. Taking Quinn had been amazing, far better than she expected, but she needed her fill of both of them tonight. More than anything, she wanted to remind Rachel that regardless of whatever happened once they woke up, in the end, she would still belong to her, through and through.

And she was more than willing to enlist Quinn’s help to do just exactly that.

Without warning, she doubled over them, landing half astride Rachel’s body and crashing their lips. Before Rachel had the chance to react or do so much as grasp onto her mother’s back, her wrists were seized up in one hand, Shelby binding them deftly up and over her head.

“Good girl,” she purred into her lips, Rachel keening at the praise. “My good girl.”

Rachel’s body bent in submission, once again wishing for something quick and handy to fasten her hands. Shelby’s hips circled into her, desperate for more as her mouth wandered, Rachel surrendering as her mother’s lavish tongue swirled over a dark, swelling nipple. A blazing light kindled in her pussy at the wanton moans dragged from her daughter’s throat, unable to get enough as she feasted on the sight of those sweet, little peaks snapping firm and taut from between her teeth.

Her energy replenished, Quinn obliged to lay back and watch, contemplating her next move as Shelby savaged her daughter’s breasts. Taking full advantage of the helpless position Rachel was rendered in, she crept over, helping to secure her wriggling hands in Shelby’s grip and hovering a stiffening nipple over her open, waiting mouth. Rachel eagerly accepted, the satisfied groans coming around Quinn’s plump flesh matching the ones slipping from her friend’s own lips.

Shelby let her eyes play over them for a few long moments, swearing into Rachel’s skin, the thirst in her own cunt driving her to seek out her daughter’s yielding core. She parted easily beneath Shelby’s skilled fingers, Quinn’s other hand kneading and tending to the breast soon neglected by her mother’s relentless tongue and teeth. A familiar heat bundled low in her center, Shelby laving over her nipples once more before swinging her head up and away to catch an unsuspecting Quinn’s mouth again. She felt Rachel’s clit rise beneath her thumb, Quinn’s lingering essence dancing between their lips as they moved above her.

Rachel opened her eyes in time to watch them collide, the furious circles Shelby rolled over her clit forcing them to screw shut once again. She flicked her tongue over Quinn’s rosy nipple fixed between her teeth, her own breasts toughening at the needy moans she received in turn. It felt strange at first, having the two of them there to indulge in all at once. Witnessing them together, enjoying her in a dream state had horrified her beyond belief just a few short months ago. The threat of being separated from Shelby or being replaced seemed all too real. Seeing them now, being actively engaged and wanted by both, the feel of openly desiring them together changed things. Her bodily reaction alone gave her pause, the swelling of her heart all the more perplexing.

An involuntary moan was soon coaxed from her lips, Shelby’s practiced fingers having nestled themselves into her at some point in her reverie. All the while, Shelby’s lips remained glued to Quinn’s, her own cunt bearing down as she continued to milk the sweet expanse of Rachel’s pussy over and over. Gingerly, she pulled back with a light touch to Quinn’s cheek, turning her attention fully back to her daughter pinned and helpless beneath them. Her kisses, light and entrancing, dotted a straight tantalizing line down between her breasts, over her belly, stopping just above Rachel’s pubic bone. Her gaze followed Quinn’s every move as she went, the blonde’s mouth coming down to trap any begging and crying emanating from Rachel’s throat. She hooked her fingers into the spongy wall of Rachel’s pussy, the combined movement of Quinn’s explorative hands fondling her petite breasts enough to garner deep guttural moans.

She exhaled warmly onto Rachel’s rouged, slick vulva, satisfied at the frustrated growl she produced. Her clit bulged steadily under the influence of Shelby’s fixed gaze, her even breathing wafting in gentle, teasing waves over it. Shelby slid her tongue over her lower lip before burying her head. Refusing to waste another minute, she crested her tongue in a perfect outline of her spread, velvet center, her senses soon overcome with the heady musk casting into her nose and mouth. Her nipples stiffened into the cool sheets beneath her, Rachel’s muffled gasp and the sound of her own harsh breathing and tongue lashing against her enough to siphon the warm ache in her own core. Over the rise and fall of Rachel’s chest, she spied Quinn’s mouth coming to replace her fingers over a dusky nipple, clasping it between pearly teeth before soothing it with a warm splash of her tongue. Rachel’s wanton cries flowed freely from her newly uncovered mouth, fueling the expert motions of Shelby’s tongue and teeth against her.

God, what Shelby would’ve given to have that sweet, little mouth on her again, defy all the laws of physics to bend and force a full breast between those perfect lips whilst continuing to work her lapping tongue between her daughter’s legs. One of Rachel’s legs moved to coil around her head, the heel of her other foot driving roughly into Shelby’s back as her thigh tensed under her mother’s grasp. Her tongue roved in magical patterns inside of her, Rachel closing down around it as Shelby’s fingers thumbed and pinched the bulge of her clit. Her head snapped rigidly to the side, her lower lip cinched between her teeth as they swallowed her up. She fought to cling desperately to the edge, teetering slowly back and forth at their mercy. She wrongly believed she could hold on a bit longer, her mother detecting her resilience soon enough.

“Let go, baby girl,” she commanded gently. Then with more authority, “You know Mommy doesn’t like waiting.”

Indeed, she didn’t, Rachel conceded internally, wailing softy. Quinn seemed to mirror her own subdued reaction even though she wasn’t currently under fire. Her thighs quaked around her mother’s imposing form, the swish and flick of Quinn’s tongue over her breast partnered with the matched vigor of Shelby’s fingers enough to keep her painfully skirting the edge.

“Let go, little girl,” she intoned gently, the impending threat of what might happen if she refused lurking beneath that smooth, implicit tone.

Her fists curled into the sheets to find what little ground she could, her eyes refusing to open and meet that penetrating gaze even for a split second lest she explode.

Shelby leered up at her.

_Suit yourself, princess._

Her merciless tongue and digits traded places in a heartbeat, her lips enveloping that delectable, swollen bud in a long, enduring suck as her fingers wrenched furious half circles into the encompassing tightness beneath. Quinn’s hand folded raptly over the strangled cries torn from Rachel’s throat, Shelby’s tongue nursing her twitching little bundle as she spewed graciously into her mother’s unhinged mouth. She vacuumed her essence slowly, savoring it on her palate as Rachel’s cries dwindled into mindless mewls. She ascended carefully, watching her daughter’s breasts heave with each gulp of air, painfully rock hard under Quinn’s consistent manipulation. Quinn rolled off a little to the side to allow her room to fold over Rachel’s body.

She turned her daughter’s head gently to face her, reveling at her helpless, defeated expression, her wrists hiked over her head without the aid of restraints. She smiled and nuzzled her nose into hers, the thick mane of her hair tickling Rachel’s face as she moved.

“Is my little princess okay?” Her breath coasted gently over Rachel’s ear as she spoke.

Her eyes finally split open, her vision recovering slowly as Shelby’s warm features loomed over her. She shuddered and offered a weak nod. Shelby laughed and grazed her lips over hers, shushing her gently as low whines rumbled against her mouth.

Her appetite fully sated, she settled between them, the pair flocking to her for warmth as she draped and tucked the covers around them. She laced her arms around their shoulders, the two of them joining hands over her stomach, positively tuckered out and nudging into her as closely as they could. With one last reassuring look into each other’s eyes, they nodded off, Rachel’s head cradled into the crook of her mother’s shoulder, Quinn’s tucked just beneath her chin.

Shelby glanced intermittently between them, pressing a kiss to both of their heads with an adoring squeeze, taking a few needed moments to process and bask in the afterglow before ultimately drifting off herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rachel and Shelby were meant to be swimming in pussy since the beginning of this story, so please don't hate me.


	7. Foiled Again!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The f*cking end. For now, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell of a therapeutic exercise this turned out to be. It's been fun. If you've made it this far, enjoy.

Chapter 7: Foiled Again!

Shelby woke a few hours later, surprised to find two sleepy heads still nested in the crook of each shoulder. She fondly remembered waking in the same state of shock the first time she’d taken Rachel to bed, even found herself asking the same morbid question from that first encounter.

 _Well,_ fuck _. You’re actually still here?_

Though this time, her gaze lingered on the blonde curls tickling the underside of her chin as she repeated it to herself.

“Corcoran, you sick, twisted fuck,” she muttered lamely to herself, Quinn shifting slightly at the rumble of Shelby’s voice beneath her cheek.

Her head came to rest lower on her chest until her ear hovered just above Shelby’s heart. Her eyes flickered over to her sleeping daughter tucked beneath her other arm. A light stream dribbled from the corner of cute, pouting lips, her warm breath cascading over the rise and fall of Shelby’s breasts and tickling Quinn’s nose. Shelby laughed as Quinn arched in her sleep to get away, even managed to try and bat her away, Rachel mewling in protest. She circled her hand in soothing patterns up and down their backs until they settled into her once again. She engulfed them in a quick reassuring squeeze before sitting up, rising with wobbly knees to go and take a leak. She washed up quickly, yawning and mussing her hair as she studied her reflection.

Well, it certainly hadn’t been a dream after all, she mused lightly, the beaten trail of ripe bruises and teeth marks etched into her pale skin more than telling. All the more damning was the fine sheen of their combined heat coating her lips. Caught in reverie, she let her fingers graze where their mouths and fingers had undoubtedly crossed, replaying the question lodged at the back of her mind before she’d succumbed to sleep.

Would they still want her in the morning?

She ran her tongue over the film of sweet tang on her lips.

Would Rachel still want her around after this? Want her as a mother or anything else once she realized what she’d gotten into? Jesus, what about Quinn…?

She pushed her fingers through her hair, all thoughts suddenly interrupted by groggy moans and whines coning on the other side of the door. She returned to find them jostling and wriggling to get comfortable, having long since closed the distance in Shelby’s absence. Upon watching the pinch of an ear, Quinn’s hand rapping the side of Rachel’s head, her daughter’s tiny foot shooting up for a retaliating kick, she moved to intervene. They yielded apart as she wedged between them, huddling in close and intertwining their legs over hers as she gathered their tousled heads to her chest again.

She glanced back and forth between them, still in shock that neither of them had bolted away while she slept, that they were in fact still here, perfectly spooned and tangible in her arms. They stirred lightly, Quinn grumbling incoherently, Rachel whining, both burrowing deeper on either side of her. Unable to explain the flood of warmth sweeping over her, she locked them tighter in her protective embrace.

“I’ve got you,” she heard herself soothe over their subsiding distress, the lull of her voice enough to even out their breathing, soften their slumbering faces once more. “I’m right here,” she intoned softly. She surveyed them closely, Quinn’s body relaxing further into her, Rachel’s once rigidly splayed hand coming to rest cupped over her mother’s stomach. She let her head sink back into her pillow, eyeing them again with one disarming proclamation as sleep claimed her mind and body again.

_My girls._

***

She was swiftly awakened again, much later than before, sunlight blading in through the curtains as the wet machinations of Quinn’s mouth captured her left ear. Her breath hitched, both hands rising up to cup the back of their heads only to find that one wasn’t where it used to be. It wasn’t until then she realized Rachel’s space lay unoccupied, Shelby tensing at the prospect she may have fled until low hungry moans reverberated from below. Quinn’s tongue circled the base of her ear, someone else’s tongue undoubtedly lurking entirely somewhere else.

Her bleak vision blurred slowly into focus, the sight of all too familiar dark locks bobbing low between her knees the first thing to catch her eyes. Quinn’s fingers played over a peaked nipple for a fleeting moment before venturing low to join the lecherous tongue dividing her silken petals. A deep, satisfied groan hummed low into her ear as careful fingertips grazed over the swirling pattern of curls, the rouged jewel standing ready just beneath. She ran her thumb in experimental circles over it, muttering obscenities to herself, and grinding purposefully into Shelby’s hip. She manipulated her fingers meticulously slow, mindful not to poke Rachel in the eyes or nose as her mouth continued to work.

Hazel eyes fixated on her heaving chest, marveling at the simultaneous peak of Shelby’s milky breasts and the delicate, swollen nub beneath her attentive fingers. Her mouth zeroed in on one blushing, dusky nipple glaring back at her, practically begging to be touched and growing erect between the eager lips that soon welcomed it. Shelby’s soft whimpers hastened the swish flick of her tongue, a pulse sparking straight to her clit as she worked.

God, she could remember for the longest how much she’d always wanted to feast on those generous globes over the years, the tightly constricting bust of Shelby’s clothing offering only teasing bits of flesh here and there, tempting her to pounce on many occasions. It was still a wonder she’d been permitted to touch and revel in them now! And Christ, in everything conjured up in the recesses of her imagination, she never would’ve expected them to yield so easily, firm and full as they were beneath her hands.

She grunted in deep satisfaction, gnawing and dragging those perfect stabbing nipples into her mouth as far as she could manage, unable to get as much of that succulent flesh into her mouth as she rightfully wanted before releasing it with a wet smack. It’d always been easy and fairly intoxicating how well she could swallow up one of Rachel’s breasts, whereas she couldn’t come anywhere close with Shelby’s, so much to devour all at once, it practically drove her insane.

_If her titties taste this fuckin’ good, just imagine what her…Jesus, fuck! Where the hell even am I right now?!_

Caught between the haunting ministrations of Rachel’s tongue lodging in and out of her and Quinn’s own dancing around her rosy flesh, she felt her body quiver, desperate to get away. Her muscles twitched in effort as she moved, nipples painfully erect, one arm trapped futilely beneath Quinn’s body while the one she previously believed was free was secured firmly in Rachel’s furious grip. Her legs splayed helplessly around her daughter’s tiny form, her toes curling toward Rachel’s side once she realized in her fumbled attempt to move that the other lay bound in the coil of Quinn’s own legs.

She bucked vainly to shift away from Rachel’s licentious mouth and tongue, her shuddering moans of protest only serving to goad her on in conquest. For a brief moment, Rachel considered relinquishing hold of her mother’s wrist to lace their fingers instead. At the feel of Shelby writhing to escape, she decided against it, knowing damn well she’d seize any opportunity to wrench away and in time punish Rachel for daring to go down at all. She’d been right to enlist Quinn’s help in restraining her mother for this. Otherwise, it would’ve all ended badly, mostly for her.

“Ray,” she begged fruitlessly, “sweetness, don’t. Please.”

It was no use. She could’ve sworn she even felt Rachel’s lips cut into a wicked smirk over her inner flesh as those small, teasing fingers spread her open. She drew back to exhale warmly onto her blood-red opening, her mother tensing and groaning dully above her, Quinn’s tongue making delicious rounds around each swollen, wet nipple. She licked her lips, circling her own hips forward at the sight of Shelby caught mercilessly between them. She fixed her attention onto the delectable, little pearl stiffening between Quinn’s thumb and index finger pinching down just so. No time to waste, she dove in and caught it between her tongue and teeth, tongue sloping and fingers charging into the resisting slick passage dripping onto her chin. She wouldn’t limit herself to so much tentative foreplay, as Shelby so often did. Especially not with her mother ready to bolt away at any minute if given the chance.

Her body jackknifed in painful surrender, bending to the lavish attention Quinn’s mouth dutifully paid to each breast, her legs quaking as Rachel engulfed the essence rushing hotly into her mouth and hand. She spasmed in slow waves of recovery, Rachel’s tongue undulating in warped circles to clean her off as she rode it out. Quinn, realizing that some had caked her hand in the process, brought her fingers to her lips for a taste, unabashed in her enjoyment of finally getting the chance to sample Shelby’s cunt even indirectly. Rachel crept up from between the sheets, smiling the entire time, finally dragging Shelby’s captured arm up to rest over her head. She leered in triumph down at her defeated expression before anchoring low to join their lips, keeping her arm pinned up above her as Shelby’s muted protests buzzed between them.

Her vision still hazy, Shelby narrowed her eyes at the fearless grin looming over her, struggling to come to grips with the fact that she was inevitably surrounded by somnophiles. Whether or not the advances were welcome, in the midst of slumber, it never failed.

 _“Why?”_ she panted, breasts flushed and heaving with exertion.

Rachel offered a lazy shrug, finally releasing her mother’s arm and cuddling into her side. “Consider it part of my graduation present. And the proposition I mentioned before.”

Shelby blinked, reflecting on their current trip thus far and the other one booked shortly before it. “This _was_ your graduation present. One of many, actually.”

“Well, like I said, that was just part of it.” She craned her neck to press a quick kiss to her cheek. “Thank you. And, hey, at least you didn’t pass out this time.”

She shot her a sideways look that promised punishment in due time, her attention swiveling back to the third party making her own steady descent.

“My turn,” Quinn drawled between the frame of her thighs.

Rachel watched carefully, foolishly believing for a split second that Shelby might actually be too tired to stop either of them at this point. Shelby, for her part, was the least bit amused.

_Fuckin’ really, man?_

With a heavy sigh, she reached down, Quinn yelping in surprise as strong hands hooked under her arms to heft her back up to their level. She felt the wind being knocked out of her as she landed solidly on top, Shelby’s deft hand drifting up to deliver a swift, chastising swat to her ass.

“No more,” she warned as a very disappointed and confused Quinn met her gaze.

“But…” she gestured to Rachel wincing beside them. “But you let—“

“I didn’t, actually,” she said, her reproachful glare swinging back to her daughter. “I _never_ do.”

She looked helplessly back to her friend. “You said she would like—“

“I’ll explain later,” she hurriedly apologized. “I probably should’ve warned you.”

She sputtered pitifully. “But, I wanted to… I mean, I’ve never…” She looked to Rachel again, hoping she wouldn’t have to go into further detail with her request. And truthfully, she hadn’t! Santana hadn’t even let her go that far. And, _Jesus_ , she wouldn’t have even dared with Puck.

Shelby regarded them both, unsure of whether to be curious as to what went on in the confines of Rachel’s bedroom and the following visits to the Fabrays’ house, or shocked over Quinn’s _inexperience_ , so to speak. She deposited her beside Rachel and rolled over with a resolute huff.

“You two go ahead. I’m going back to sleep.”

They were sent into an exploding fit of giggles behind her, Shelby unable to contain her own smile as she closed her eyes again.

***

They drove out for a light breakfast a few hours later, collectively shocked at the casual bits of conversation they could hold after the night before. From time to time, mother and daughter would catch each other’s eyes in passing, lingering for a few moments before settling suspiciously on their nonchalant companion eating and chatting away with unsettling ease.

Much to their unbridled shock, Quinn had met everything thus far, from post-coitus to the occasional affectionate touches grazing across the table, with startling indifference. It was almost as if she’d either expected this for a while or witnessed their strange dynamics being played out before now. Rachel supposed she could’ve chalked it up to her being desensitized after the idiocy they’d endured together at McKinley. Still, it baffled her. Heedless of any social stigma or the inevitable distance they’d face within the next couple of weeks, Quinn seemed prepared to embrace any future involvement with them without so much as a second glance backwards.

Heaven knows, _she_ hadn’t even pondered that far ahead, still shocked and slightly amused at her own casual reaction. In the moment, all she could do was feel grateful that in the end, neither would reject her. She wasn’t sure what to make of it all, originally afraid this would only lead to Shelby pushing her away and in Quinn’s direction or that Quinn would attempt to rob her of her mother’s affection somehow. While admittedly thrilled that neither had been the case, she was still miffed at how well Shelby had been able to orchestrate everything and yield the best turnout in the end.

Face marred in confusion, Shelby’s eyes found hers again, any awaiting questions relayed in one solitary gaze, her mother’s answering smile enough to put her mind at ease. She reached over to interlock their fingers over Rachel’s knee, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to her knuckles and smiling at the beaming grin she was given in return. Though she shared her daughter’s concerns over what was to come in the near future, she couldn’t wallow or get ahead of herself. She wanted them to cherish every possible minute they had left before they took off and she was still curious as to how well the girls would get along after last night. Though she had some inhibitions over what was left on their itinerary, their zealous assent gave her more than enough motivation to proceed.

They made one last trip to the hotel before setting off on an hour long drive to Gunnison Beach. Granted, Shelby had many reservations at first, given how she hadn’t visited a topless beach in ages herself and she had virtually no idea how the girls would feel about going. While they experienced a moment’s hesitation, youthful curiosity and excitement got the best of them, Shelby masking her relief and delight at their consent as best she could.

Though she never cared to admit it, it had always been a hidden fantasy of hers to take Rachel to the beach at least once since the beginning of their affair. Of course, they’d visited the pool together a few times before, but the odd stares they’d received over something as innocent as her helping Rachel apply sunscreen had put her off of planning any trips to even a regular beach afterwards. From what she could remember from her last trip to a recreational beach, it was very much frowned upon to glimpse at strangers for too long and, for the most part, the patrons tended to mind their own business. While the lack of attire could’ve potentially made them feel more vulnerable, she figured they could at least feel more comfortable being so close and affectionate with each other in a lax public setting.

Just as she’d hoped and expected, there were surprisingly very few people out and about, Shelby suspecting it was still a bit early for most. She helped spread their towels out over the warmed sand, Rachel wasting no time in shedding her bathing suit while Shelby and Quinn took a few needed seconds to orient themselves before undressing. Without the girls’ knowledge, an older boy passing by let his eyes linger for too long, Shelby’s upturned brow and icy stare enough to send him scurrying away. She felt a bottle of sunscreen being pressed into her hand, turning back to find Rachel lying flat on her belly, casting suggestive looks over her shoulder. She popped it open with a shake of her head, squirting a liberal amount into her palm and warming it between her hands.

“You are so spoiled.”

“Well,” she sighed as her mother’s hands connected with her back, “I have you to thank for that.”

She knelt in close to her ear, hands stilled over the small of Rachel’s back. “Careful, sweet pea. The way I see it, I have plenty of access to punish you right now,” she murmured, kneading gently.

She sucked her lip between her teeth as Shelby’s hands drifted lower and purposefully skipped down to her thighs. “Please. That’s just barely a threat anymore and you know it.” She gasped as a couple of smart wet slaps were delivered to her backside.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Shelby remarked, gathering more into her palm.

“Jesus,” Quinn chuckled, ever amused at seeing this side of Rachel, a far cry from the domineering diva type she’d come to know so well over the years.

She felt her body arch at the feel of those wonderful hands pressing to her back, separating to spread over her shoulder blades. She softened, turning slightly with an inquisitive glance over her shoulder. Shelby’s hands moved of their own accord, smoothing golden tresses away for better access. Sensing the tension in Quinn’s shoulders, she offered a light smile, leaning in to press a soothing kiss to the nape of her neck.

A light tremor crept up her spine, a quiet moan escaping her lips. After everything that had transpired between them the night before, she shouldn’t have been so caught off guard. Still, having a woman’s hands on her like this, Shelby’s sure and steady compared to Rachel’s own teasing and delicate palms, never ceased to amaze her. It served as a constant reminder that last night hadn’t merely been a dream after all. She watched Rachel’s lips stretch into a knowing smirk, whimpering at the departure of Shelby’s hands as she reached for more sunscreen.

“Oh, okay,” Rachel teased, “so, when I ask for help, I’m spoiled. But when _she_ needs it…”

“Hush,” Shelby chuckled, massaging the rest into Quinn’s shapely thighs. She stopped to remember one slight detail, her tone dropping. “We really can’t _play_ here, girls.”

Rachel rolled over onto her back and stretched her arms above her head, relishing in the warmth casting over the slope of her breasts. She fixed Shelby with a light pout.

“But I need it on this side, too,” she remarked with a teasing whine.

“Mmm, same,” Quinn agreed with a lazy sigh, attempting to turn over until Shelby’s hands held her in place.

“I’m serious.” She waited until she had their undivided attention. “Look, I can finish,” she stopped to gesture to the bottle in her hands, “ _helping_ you guys. But we really can’t fool around here.”

Quinn gave an incredulous huff. “But it’s a—“

“I know,” Shelby raised her hand. “Still, it’s a beach, not a brothel.” She rolled her eyes at the light bit of snickering elicited between them, wordlessly dabbing more into her palm.

She lathered them up quickly, careful not to immerse herself in the sensation of their nipples awakening and flushing into her hands. There were, needless to say, a few shared groans of protest, her hands gone far too soon for their liking, Shelby grinning and half-tempted to give up and violate beach etiquette altogether.

Quinn rose to take the bottle from her hands, Shelby instantly batting her away. “Come on,” she beckoned. “I can help.”

She gave a curt shake of her head. “I’m good. Thanks, though.”

Rachel bristled, rising halfway to her elbows. “Let her help. Come on, you need some, too.”

“Unlike you, I remembered to put some on _before_ we left.”

“A little more won’t hurt,” Quinn shrugged, eager to help her relax. She reached out once again only to be denied a second time.

“I can assure you, I’m fine,” she stated firmly, satisfied when Quinn’s hands fell away.

She reclined back with a slight frown, meeting Rachel’s apologetic wince before rolling back onto her stomach. She grazed one last dubious look in her mother’s direction before resuming her earlier position, making a mental note to explain Shelby’s strange aversion to reciprocal touch later on. She thought back ruefully to the injuries Shelby had sustained months before, wondering if her unease had originated in her history with April.

Before she could fully engross herself in the waves rushing up ahead, Quinn felt a gentle touch to her back, Shelby’s voice coming softly over the sound of crashing water.

“You okay, sweetie?”

Her lips played into a lazy smile. “Are you ever gonna stop asking me that?”

“She won’t,” Rachel chimed in, flipping down her shades. “I’ve been trying to get her to stop for the past two years.”

She gave off a light chuckle, leaning in and planting kisses on both their heads before stretching forward on her own blanket.

***

“I still don’t get why you won’t go back on stage,” Quinn mentioned offhandedly, deliberately putting off tackling the elephant in the room as long as she could.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Shelby said evenly, pushing a few stubborn locks back behind her ears.

A persistent breeze picked up and carried around them, furling their hair and tossing about a few errant napkins and plate liners on the balcony, Shelby forced to wonder why she opted to have them eat outside to begin with.

“Well, what’s stopping you?” Quinn prodded, stabbing away at a piece of meat.

“I’m perfectly comfortable coaching right now,” she insisted with a laugh. “It’s really not that bad. Besides, I don’t expect to deal with the same brand of idiocy I did back at home.”

She’d called and made sure to look closely into the prospective schools, grateful they carried heavier zero-tolerance policies than Carmel and McKinley combined. The less slushy and egg induced stupidity she had to deal with, the better. Truth be told, her experience in coaching had proven to be more rewarding than she’d expected years before. It would’ve been wrong to deny how pleased she felt at watching her students and even her own daughter grow over the years. Plus, she had to admit, in spite of the enduring nonsense she’d witnessed in both Vocal Adrenaline and the Troubletones, she still missed the majority of them.

Quinn offered a light shrug in return, pushing away her plate and training her gaze on the vista stretched ahead. She crossed her legs as a swift breeze wafted up her skirt, debating on how to broach her concerns.

“Were you serious about letting me fly out?”

Rachel stopped to glance up from her food. “Were _you_ serious?”

Quinn blinked. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She twirled her fork in one hand. “Even after…”

“If I didn’t, would I still be here?”

Her lips stretched into a half-smirk. Intuition had been one thing, but she needed to hear it from Quinn’s mouth, regardless. “For her or for me?”

“Ray,” Shelby scolded lightly, the hurt evident in Quinn’s eyes.

“No,” she bit out. “I want to hear it from her. She made it this far, she can tell me.” She rivaled her mother’s chastising glare with an icy look of her own. “And I don’t care what happens here. I’m still not stopping for anyone—“

Shelby’s eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t asking—“

“Well, she needs to know it every bit as much as you do,” she insisted, her gaze whirling back to Quinn in a heartbeat. “And she still hasn’t answered.”

“You’re fucking dense,” Quinn muttered.

“Any day, now—“

“Both,” she snapped, mother and daughter stilling at the cutting edge in her voice. She softened. “Fuck’s sake, in case it wasn’t obvious before and if still humanely possible, which after yesterday, I think it’s safe to assume, _yeah_ it is.” She stopped to fully turn and address Rachel alone. “I’ve wanted this for a while now. I’m assuming you’ve known all this time, otherwise you wouldn’t have been bitching and teasing me about her for months.”

Her face flushed in dismay. She could barely make sense of her own combined feelings for them, but for Quinn to harbor the exact same as her rendered her all the more perplexed.

“Why?”

“I could ask you the same,” she gestured between them. “I doubt I could explain any better than you could. _If_ you could. I don’t have all the answers. I’m just here. I thought you both wanted me here. I thought we all wanted each other here.”

“We do,” she said fervently, much to their surprise. She met her mother’s pressing gaze and sighed. If she was going to go this far, she needed to at least speak for herself. “ _I_ do. It’s just I didn’t expect you to… _fuck_ , I don’t know.”

Shelby’s eyes flickered back and forth between for a few long moments before she stood to excuse herself. Their eyes followed her as she went, an uncomfortable silence hovering over them.

“How long have you known?” Rachel suddenly asked.

Quinn shook her head. “I didn’t. Probably should’ve figured it out before. But, no, I didn’t. I’m not mad or anything, just a little surprised.” She bit her lip. “How long have you been… you know…?”

Her shoulders lifted in an indifferent shrug. “Since we met her that day. I didn’t actually think she’d call or wanna see me again, but she did. I didn’t expect it to happen. It just kinda did.”

“Jesus,” Quinn murmured.

She never would’ve imagined that someone like Rachel could start out so young, or with someone as mature as Shelby. Then again, she couldn’t exactly claim to be above it, given how she’d pined after Shelby for the longest and been involved and impregnated by a known cougar enthusiast before. She gave a twisted smirk, mildly shocked over how _that_ somehow took precedence over blatant incest in her mind. Oh, well. Her morals hadn’t exactly been the most straight-forward or consistent over the years, anyway.

“Not really disappointed, exactly,” she continued. “Just confused.” 

Rachel gave off a mirthless snort. “Were you always…?” She trailed off to gesture in the direction Shelby disappeared. “I mean you never really had any classes with her, so…”

She pursed her lips. “You remember when we spied on her at Carmel?” They shared a reminiscent laugh over it before she continued. “I barely even figured out what I felt for you but then…well, _that_ happened.”

Rachel waited, unable to suppress the wistful smile creeping into her face. “And you’ve wanted to fuck her ever since?”

“No. Well…okay, yeah. But still.” She stopped to consider something else. “It was after Regionals, you know, after the baby was born. She didn’t have to come up there and say anything to me, but she did.”

She remembered that night well enough, how oddly quiet Shelby had been once they’d left the hospital. There was so much she’d wanted to say, so much to ask, but she’d let her be, content to have her mother back at the end of the day even after their loss at Regionals.

“She didn’t know.”

“Neither did you,” Quinn scoffed.

“Did you only want me just to get close to her?”

She shot her a strange sideways look. “No.” She would’ve thought that with all the invites over to her house, her feelings might’ve been obvious. Then again, she hadn’t always carried the best track record in being direct about this sort of thing, especially when it came to these women in particular. Rachel’s distrust admittedly hurt, but given how she’d treated her over the years, she supposed she couldn’t fault her in her suspicions. “I didn’t even expect her to like me or ask me to come out here at all.”

“So, I’m supposed to believe that you—“

“Jesus, believe whatever the fuck you want. I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Well, why didn’t you just fucking tell me before?”

“That day over at your house _was_ my way of telling you.” She sighed heavily. “I thought you might’ve wanted me back when I asked you to come over all the time, but whatever. I couldn’t tell you before. I didn’t know how. Not with everything else that was going on. I was still trying to get over Puck and Finn and it wouldn’t have been easy to say anything even after that. I couldn’t just come out and tell you, not when I was still supposed to hate you.”

“It would’ve been easier to swallow than you and Santana just throwing shit at me all the time.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” She crossed over to close the distance between them, one hand cautiously coming over to fold over Rachel’s knee. “Look, I don’t know what this is or what we are… what we _all_ are. But I wanna keep going. I know I haven’t always had the best way of showing it, but I still want you around. I always have.”

Rachel swallowed thickly, unsure if her body was tensing under the influence of Quinn’s touch or at the sudden revelation. She’d felt so sure of herself that first night they’d had each other, though her motives had been questionable at the time. Every other time after that, it became harder to figure out what she wanted, how it’d be possible to balance her affection for the two of them. Without a doubt, she wanted to keep Quinn around in some capacity. It was merely a question of how and whether Quinn had felt the same way, whether Shelby could even tolerate her wanting them both at the same time. And as of late, in all the time they’d spent together, she’d been under the sad impression that she’d only wanted to be close to her in attempt to try and nail Shelby behind her back, even after hearing her drunken protests against them both leaving her.

Quinn waited, searching intently for her eyes. “Rach?”

She’d felt something in the way she touched her and looked at her that first time and all the nights after. Hell, even the night before. Even now, she could barely make sense of it, justify her own feelings. Girls like Quinn just didn’t end up with girls like her or even venture to share the same space with them for too long. Or, so she thought. But they certainly weren’t girls anymore, and their moronic hatred had long since been put away in their time at McKinley. She looked to Quinn’s thumb tracing absentminded circles on the side of her knee, mindlessly folding her own hand over it in a comforting squeeze.

She licked her lips. “Okay, so I had this dream one time…”

“What?”

“Fuck it. Never mind.” She didn’t even want to think about why she considered going there. She took in a few deep, shaky breaths before trying again. “I don’t really know what this is, either. But if we do this, I need you to understand something. Don’t get me wrong, I love you. But I’m not gonna lose her over anyone, not even you.”

Quinn shook her head. “I’m not trying to—“

“I just got her back,” she said, raising her hand in finality. “I know she punishes herself every day for how we are, but I wanted her this way back then, and I still want her now. I’m always gonna want this with her, no matter what happens. She’s too scared to admit it, but I can tell she feels the same way. I’ve told her more than once that I didn’t wanna stop and I meant it. I still do. I’d still love to fly out or have you come over if you still want to. But if you do… if you _really_ wanna keep going, you’re signing on for a package deal. There is no in between. She’s still mine.”

Quinn pursed her lips, brows furrowed in deep concentration. “I don’t get it.”

Rachel stammered in disbelief. “Which part? I’m pretty sure it’s not that hard to—“

“This is literally the _third_ time that I’ve said yes to all of this and you still—“

“Ugh, fuck off,” she grinned, unable to stay angry for too long. She leaned in to capture her lips, Quinn slightly caught off guard at first but eventually melting into it.

“How is it that after all this time, you still find ways to piss me off?” Quinn murmured against her.

“Am I as bad as Santana?”

“So much fuckin’ worse…”

She shrugged easily. “You’ll get used to it.” She stopped to look at her then, cupping her cheek and running the pad of her thumb over Quinn’s lower lip. She watched it quiver under her gaze before it was caught and seized halfway between her teeth. She frowned as Quinn’s head came to burrow into her shoulder, fresh tears wetting the crook of her neck. “Hey…”

“Please don’t forget to keep in touch,” she sniffled, voice breaking. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I’m not here to hurt you or get you guys to stop, I just—“

“Q,” she pulled back, eyes lit with determination. “I’m not trying to push you away. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn’t have even bothered coming over to your house all the time. And I probably would’ve tried to leave a lot sooner last night. Trust me,” she murmured, cupping her cheek, her thumb brushing over the stray tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

“You don’t really get to slap someone at prom and expect them to forget about you that easily.” She grinned at the chuckle she coaxed from her lips, leaning in to let their foreheads meet. “Plus, I’ve looked it up. New Haven’s only about two hours away, so we could literally just drive out whenever you want. I’m pretty sure Brittana’s distance is a lot fucking worse.”

“Please don’t fucking remind me...”

“My point stands,” she went on with a conceding chuckle. “If those two idiots can handle it, then I’m sure we can do the same, with another person to remind us, no less. I’m sure she’ll wanna drive out first chance she gets.”

Quinn sniffled. “And you’re sure she’s okay with this, too? She’s not secretly plotting out my fucking death or anything, right?”

“No, no,” she grinned. “She’s good, I promise. I’d tell you if she wasn’t.”

Her eyes narrowed, one brow raised sharply. “No, you fuckin’ wouldn’t.”

“Well, this time, I can. I promise.”

They shared one last laugh, Quinn’s cheek warming beneath her hand as Rachel’s eyes cast down her parted lips, drifting down to the hand resting over her knee.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she grinned. “Just having a hard time believing it.” And indeed, she did. A lot had certainly changed within the past two years.

“Was it hard to believe the first time?”

“Up until I went down, yeah. Just a little.”

“Fuckin’ jeez,” she chuckled softly, leaning in to nuzzle her nose in Rachel’s hair, thankful they were the only ones eating outside at the moment. She wondered for a split second if Brittany and Santana had ever been afraid of being this affectionate in public. Then again, they were far and away from Lima now, so she figured she shouldn’t have been that worried at all.

“You should probably call her back up. She’s probably thinking we’ve killed each other by now.”

“Nah, I don’t think so,” she said, fishing for her phone. “She could’ve just been watching us the whole time.”

“So, uh,” Quinn hesitated, biting her lip. “We’re still gonna fuck after this, right?”

She paused mid-text to glance up at her, her lips curving into a slow building smirk.

_Yep. You’ll fit right in._

Shelby returned within minutes, grateful and surprised at the lack of bloodshed.

“So,” Quinn started again. “Do I have full permission from both of you to fly—or drive out—and visit?”

“And vice versa,” Rachel said, nudging her under the table.

Shelby offered a light smile. “As I said before, there’s a plane ticket with your name on it. Whenever you want.”

“I know Mom’s gonna want me back over Thanksgiving and stuff but—“

“We’ll figure something out, sweetie,” Shelby said with a touch to her arm. She didn’t want either of them to stress over the finer details for the time being, not entirely sure of how to maintain the balance herself but looking forward to their staying connected, nonetheless. As long as she didn’t push them and they stayed focused on school and work, everything would be fine.

“So, are we all good here?” she asked carefully.

Rachel looked to them both and shrugged evenly. “As long as we don’t stop,” she stopped to lift her chin in Shelby’s direction, “and as long as _you_ use fucking Facetime,” she delivered a teasing bump to Quinn’s knee. “Yes, I’m good.” She glanced back and forth between them. “Well?”

Quinn’s hands lifted in surrender. “I think I’ve said it more than enough. I’m fine.”

Shelby balked as their gaze collectively fell back onto her. A stifled laugh escaped her throat. Well, shit, considering she’d been the one to organize all this, was it really necessary for her to elaborate on her own feelings? If anything, she was more or less pleased at how well they blended together thus far, how open Quinn was, how willing and able Rachel was to share the spotlight with her. Twice as alarming was how well everything had fallen into place after so little haphazard thought and planning, how much she looked forward to being able to carry this out with them for as long as she could, as long as they cared to let her.

It was insane, as was everything she’d done within the past few years, but here she was, ready to embrace it wholeheartedly. Through some twisted miracle she’d still be able to hold onto her daughter and help her stay connected with the best friend she’d ever had. It shouldn’t have made any sense, shouldn’t have been made even remotely possible, but then again, logic and reason hardly mattered anymore.

Rachel leered suspiciously over at her, Shelby ready to ask what she wanted until she stood to go, claiming to go to the restroom. They watched her go, the smile never leaving her face as she went. Shelby felt her stomach flip at being left alone with Quinn for the first time since their quick, awkward encounter in her classroom. It didn’t bother her so much, though, at this point, it did give her pause. Without a doubt, it would be an adjustment, but in watching them interact and grow over the years, she could tell getting to know Quinn would very likely be an adventure and a blessing in and of itself. She’d just have to break past that bumbling crush-addled exterior first.

Quinn, still flummoxed at how strange she felt at being alone with her after everything, said nothing, shifting uneasily in her seat across from her. She could’ve very well bridged the distance between them, perched herself in Shelby’s lap and smashed the ever living fuck out of her luscious mouth as she’d dreamt of doing over the past two years. Never mind the fact that she’d just enjoyed a very public kiss with said woman’s daughter just a few minutes ago, undoubtedly earning a few odd looks she knew enough to expect from the other patrons. Yet she remained still, silently flagellating herself for not scrounging up enough courage to start up a conversation without Rachel’s help.

 _She’s had your pussy and you’ve fucked them both. The_ least _you could fucking do is say something, you—_

“How long have you known?” Shelby finally said after what felt like an eternity, thankfully stirring her from another self-deprecating inner monologue.

She slid her eyes up to find Shelby’s head cocked sideways in her direction, thankful they were both wearing shades so she wouldn’t be forced to melt under those crystal green gems. “I didn’t.”

Shelby barely managed to suppress an incredulous huff. And here she believed she and Rachel were so painfully obvious even in the public eye that they very likely should’ve been discovered _years_ ago. Then again, Quinn had never really seen them interact so closely before, so her lack of suspicion shouldn’t have come as a total surprise.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Quinn quickly interjected, unsure of why she felt the need to impress that upon them both considering what’d transpired between them. “Like I told her before, I’m not here to stop you.”

She gave an impassive nod, her brows furrowing in concentration. “Ray loves you.”

She felt her heart skip a beat. “I love her, too. I’m not here to hurt her. I’m not here to hurt either of you. I meant what I said before.” She stiffened at Shelby’s reticence, wondering if she’d ever fully earn their trust after all this time. She scrambled for something else to say, her own mind reeling with questions.

“Why _did_ you ask me to come out?” Her heart and body loosened at the smile she was given.

“Intuition,” she said simply. “I knew how you felt about her. It didn’t seem right to just let it fade out once we left. I think it’s safe to say neither of you are the type to just give up on each other that easily. Plus, after you came up to my class that day—“

“Oh, my god,” she groaned, Shelby laughing as she buried her face in her hands. “Please, don’t.”

“I didn’t wanna believe it. Not after Ray told me. But I figured I might as well see for myself. I just had to wait it out, first.”

“I really didn’t think she’d notice,” Quinn admitted softly. “So, you’re telling me you never suspected anything?”

“Up until then, no.” She gave a reassuring grin and shake of her head as Quinn’s face tinted red. “It’s okay. It was actually kind of adorable. As long as you weren’t as pretentious and skeevy as Puckerman, I was okay.”

“Ugh, fuck. Please, don’t. I was really hoping to forget about him this summer. Among others…”

She softened as she considered something else. “Are you sure you’re okay? With everything?”

She huffed an exasperated sigh. “For the thousandth time—“

“I’m serious.”

“If you were really worried about it, then why’d you even bother inviting me in the first place? If it really grossed me out or anything, do you really think I’d still be here? Do you think I would’ve even bothered touching you?”

Shelby felt her face flush. Fucking had been one thing, but everything else in the aftermath and in between was a separate issue altogether. In spite of her muddied introspection, of how fiercely she’d touched them back, she had to be sure of how Quinn felt about all of this.

“I don’t want to drag you into anything you’re not comfortable with. I have no doubts that you and Rachel will be okay. But if you need me to step back, if you want to walk away, I have to know.”

She pursed her lips, masking her frustration as best she could. “If I didn’t want both of you, believe me, I would’ve been on the first plane back home. Fuck, I wouldn’t have even come up to you that day. I wouldn’t even bother asking to come out and see you once you leave. Look, I’m not gonna lie, yeah it’s a bit of a shock to me, but I’m willing to keep… _testing the theory_ if you are.” They shared a laugh on that last note before she continued. “I know I haven’t always been the nicest to her, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance anyway. I think it’s safe to say you already are. Right now, I’m more or less worried about what _she_ thinks. I get the feeling there’s something she’s not telling me.”

Shelby forced back a smile, pushing back from the table and smoothing over her jeans. “Come here.”

Quinn blinked. “Huh?”

She gestured to her open lap. “Just come here.”

Willing off the impulse to scan a cautionary glance around them, she rose to comply, warming all over at the feel of strong arms folding around her as she poised herself over a firm set of thighs.

“Take out your phone.”

“What?”

Shelby only smiled. “Trust me.”

Confused but obliging, she obeyed, Shelby guiding the screen to face them and lifting Quinn’s arm until it reflected past their shoulders. There, mirrored just a few yards behind them, a familiar brown head peeked surreptitiously around the corner, eyes bulging and waiting.

“Oh, my god.” Quinn grumbled with a roll of her eyes. “What is this? A game show? Fuck.”

“Does she _look_ uncomfortable at all to you?”

“I mean, no. But still. How long do you think she’s been there?”

“A while,” she said with a knowing smirk.

_A regular fuckin’ Nancy Drew…_

“Fuckin’ Jesus, man…”

“Enough, now,” Shelby firmed her voice with a chastising tap to her hip. Hearing it in the heat of the moment had been one thing, but now Quinn was going overboard for her taste.

One brow lifted suspiciously. “Is this actually a thing? I mean, after everything we’ve done and _that’s_ what bothers you?”

Shelby’s own brow shot up in warning, her gaze unrelenting even beneath her shades. “I’m sure Ray would be more than happy to tell you what happens if I hear it too often from either of you.”

Her thighs cinched at the edge in her voice. She remembered well enough the first time Shelby had come after her with a hairbrush. She didn’t want to give her any real reason to do it again, though she had an inkling Rachel would be the type to give her mother every reason in the world.

She replaced her phone on the table, Shelby taken aback as she stuck out her hand. “Quinn.”

Shelby’s lips folded inward. “I know.”

She shook her head. “ _Rachel_ knows me. _We’ve_ still got some way to go. You knew me as the passive aggressive cheerleader throwing things at people. I want us to start over.”

She chuckled softly before offering her own hand with a firm pump. “Shelby.” She withdrew to push a few wispy strands behind Quinn’s ear. “Former show choir rival and someone who’s watched you both grow into the amazing young women you are now. Someone who’s watched you from afar, seen you grow out of your past. Someone who continues to look forward to getting to know you in the near future,” she concluded with an affectionate squeeze.

She felt her lips quiver, torn between listening to her heartfelt words and delving in to suction those perfect lips into her own. Unwillingly, her mind traced back to that day at the hospital. “Can I ask you something?” She waited as Shelby’s head bobbed an affirmative. “Did it ever get easier? After you gave her up?”

Shelby felt a chord strike within her, shocked at how comfortable she was in discussing this with her at all. She could hardly remember what she’d even said to Quinn in the fleeting moment they’d shared before she had to race back to Akron, only that she’d thought it would be mindful to offer a bit of advice before she left. The pleading look in her eyes said more than enough, though she couldn’t have imagined the longing compared to her own way back when. She’d at least had the full assurance of knowing where Rachel was going and the nurses had thankfully been careful enough to limit the allotted time she had to spare a glance at her daughter before they whisked her away. From what she understood, Quinn had actually been given the chance to hold the baby before giving her up. She steeled herself against the lump lodging at the back of her throat before meeting those imploring eyes again.

“It takes time,” she began carefully. “But yes, it will. I look at her every day, see how far she’s come, the person she is now. Don’t get me wrong. It hurt not being there at first, but I couldn’t have done that by myself. Not when I didn’t have my own life figured out.” Her voice lowered slightly. “She needed her fathers, she still does. I don’t get along with them the best,” she issued with a gruff laugh. “But even _I_ needed them back then. I still do. I know I can’t always be there and they’ve done well with her. I know I made the right decision.”

She rushed to amend that last note upon considering the aftermath of their reconnection. “I’m not suggesting you go out and do what I did! But once you start to focus on your own life, it’ll get easier. You’ll still think about her from time to time, but it won’t hurt as much. I can’t tell you where she is, but I can tell you now, if you’d kept her, pink hair and nose rings would’ve been the least of your worries.”

She couldn’t resist the chuckle bubbling in her throat, blinking through the threatening tears stinging the back of her eyes. Shelby’s hand lifted to brush a thumb across her cheek. She thought back to the tense motherly form of her she’d witnessed after she’d first bedded Rachel. “Did you hate me for being with her at first? You know, when…”

Indeed, she knew, grinning at the memory. “No. I just wanted to make sure Ray was in good hands. If she ever wanted to stop.”

“What makes you keep going?”

She shrugged evenly. “Now, that I can’t tell you. I never meant to find her like this. It didn’t start out this way, it just happened.”

“Did she ever wanna stop?”

She shook her head. “Ray’s stubborn. I don’t know if she’ll ever want to, but if and when she does, I have to be ready. I’ve always known that. But as long as she wants me around, I’ll be here. I trust you’ll both be fine.” She stopped as she felt Quinn tense in her lap, wrapping her into a comforting squeeze again. “She’ll outlive me. You both will. I have to be realistic. You know as well as I do that Rachel doesn’t deal well with separation. I’ve tried to prepare her for that, get her to branch out some more, but I don’t know if it did any good. She’ll probably never wanna stop.”

“She loves you,” she insisted, watching as Shelby’s pensive gaze fell to the floor. “For what it’s worth, I don’t blame her for not wanting to. You’re good with each other. And you’ve made it this far, so…”

She scoffed. “I don’t know if I have much of a choice. I love her, even in ways that I shouldn’t. It’s never been good for me to admit that, but I think you’ve seen enough to know. I’ll hang on as long as she wants me to. But I have to ask.” She stopped to eye her warily. “If she does let go, or if anything happens to me, will you just be there for her? Even just as a friend?”

Quinn stared wordlessly back at her, amazed at being given the chance but wholly ready for the undertaking. She nodded furiously, her mind set with conviction. Rachel had been there for her even at the worst of times, even after she’d been horrible to her. At this point, there was nothing she wouldn’t do. “Of course.” She swallowed. “I’d, you know, rather you _not_ go anywhere, but…”

“I don’t see that happening anytime soon,” she admitted with a light shake of her head. “But in the event that it does,” she trailed off, letting the possibility hang idly in the wind. “New York will present its own challenges and college will be a big enough transition for both of you, so I’m just saying---“

“You both worry too much,” she cut her off, her mouth zeroing in on Shelby’s and neatly cutting off any further objections. Her soundless chuckle passed through Quinn’s lips as they worked against each other, one hand flying up to cup her cheek, thumb tracing over the line of a firm jaw. Shelby’s arm looped around her waist, pulling her in closer, the two of them momentarily forgetting they were still very much in a public setting until a light, teasing voice drew them apart.

“Took you long enough.”

Shelby’s eyes cut over in her direction, her mouth never leaving Quinn’s.

“So, we’re all good, now?” Rachel echoed her mother’s words, oddly pleased to stand back and watch for a change.

“Fine, you brat,” Shelby mocked gently as they pulled back, Quinn shifting to clear a spot on her lap. “You know, you’re not smooth at all.”

Quinn privately agreed, Rachel’s infectious giggle jingling in her ears as she came to occupy the space next to her, their fingers interlocking between Shelby’s knees. “How long until Labor Day weekend?”

“We’ve got plenty of time before then,” Shelby assured with a bounce of her knee.

She was right. They still had a good three weeks before they were set to fly out and move in. She gave a gentle nudge to her daughter’s back. “We’ve still gotta fly back to Lima once the semester’s over, anyway,” she said, suddenly remembering Rachel would still need to see her fathers for the holidays. That got her thinking. “You should call your mom, Q.”

“Hmm?”

“Once we get back to the room,” she said. “Trust me. She’ll wanna hear your voice. See how well you’re doing.”

She felt the color drain from her face for a split second, suddenly forced to remember everything Judy had told her before she’d accepted their invitation weeks ago, wondering if she should ever break the news that her mother knew about this the whole time. She quietly agreed before training her eyes back to the dusky haze beyond.

***

They curled up together under the sheets as Quinn shared an awkward, eerily quiet conversation with her mother in the bathroom.

_Well, how was it?_

_It was fun—fine! Fine. Everything’s… fine._

_See? I told you it wouldn’t be so bad! Just keep me posted on how you’re doing. And no, before you ask. I’m still not going to kill anyone. Just focus on having a good time._

Shelby dialed up the volume on the television to allow her better privacy, tracing idle patterns over Rachel’s shoulder blades as she nestled deeper under the spoon of her arm. She stretched an arm over her mother’s stomach, her mind wandering as Shelby’s heartbeat thudded gently beneath her ear.

Shelby gathered her up in a heartfelt squeeze, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m never letting go,” she reassured gently.

“Were you expecting this the whole time?”

Shelby stilled her fingers over her back for a second before resuming. “A little,” she admitted slowly. “I wasn’t sure.”

“Were you expecting her to say yes? To any of it?”

“Yes and no. It just took some time. I had to see how you both felt, first.”

She arched her neck to look up at her, taking a few moments to appreciate that slow, adoring gaze, the beaming smile she was given, those warm, feathery hands ghosting up and down her back. “I’m glad you did it.”

Shelby’s lips spread into a wide grin. “Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourselves.”

“No, no. I mean everything,” she said, rising up onto her elbows. “I’m glad you came back, found me, helped her, helped _us_.” She traced an imaginary line from the base of her ear down to the corner of Shelby’s mouth, her hand soon flattening against her mother’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re coming with me. I’m still not really sure how we’re gonna do this.” She pursed her lips in wonder. “But I’m glad you’re helping me hold onto her, too. I was afraid you were gonna try to push me away at first, but—“

“I’m here,” Shelby cut in firmly, twisting her head to press her lips to Rachel’s open palm. “I’m always here. As long as you need me.”

“Always,” she insisted, inching forward to claim her lips again as she slid fully on top. “I can promise you that will never change.”

“Mmm, you wear me out,” Shelby purred against her, Rachel’s hips rolling into her at a steadily building rhythm. “You know that?”

“Maybe,” she teased lightly, her mouth creeping lower to nip and suck at the hollow of her throat as Shelby’s fingers knotted through her hair, one hand lowering in effort to still her hips. “It’s part of my job.”

“We really should rest, Ray. You’ll be cranky later on if you don’t.”

“We’ve got time,” she breathed, nosing into her neck one last time before rising to straddle her mother’s hips. “Did you bring the…”

Shelby’s eyes narrowed as she delivered a reproachful squeeze to her ass. “Not this time, you little heathen. We can wait to disturb her some other night.”

“I think it’s a bit late to worry about _disturbing_ her with anything at this point.”

In a flash, she was bucked off and thrown over onto her back, Shelby advancing on her in a flurry of loving chomps and licks to her neck and shoulders. Rachel descended into giggles as her teeth closed around the smooth, pliant flesh beneath, feigning distress but arching into her all the same. Her laughter died short as Shelby finally relented and drew back, the pair allowing themselves to be lost in the resonating swallows of teal and chocolate pools.

She folded a few cascading locks behind Shelby’s ear. “I love you.”

“I love you most,” she returned, enveloping her in another bruising, devouring kiss.

A light scuttle of movement sounded behind them. “I could get used to this.”

Shelby issued a gruff noise at the back of her throat, noting how this could potentially lead to new levels of voyeurism for all of them. “How’d it go?”

Quinn shrugged, pushing off the doorframe and slinking over, dressed down in only her underwear, a scene fairly domestic in Shelby’s eyes. “Not bad.”

_She doesn’t wanna kill either of you, so I guess we’re good…_

“She just wants plenty of pictures. Plus, she doesn’t have anything planned for Labor Day, so I’m good to come out then.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Shelby mused, throwing open the covers to invite her in. Rachel shifted over to allow her more room, the two of them soon snuggling in on either side. “But for now,” she punctuated with a peck to both of their heads, “we sleep.”

“We always sleep,” Rachel yawned offhandedly.

“How long do we have in this room again?” Quinn asked, coiling her leg with Rachel’s.

“Tonight and tomorrow.”

“How long until summer’s over?”

“We’ve got plenty of time,” Shelby laughed, flipping down the volume for ambience.

They each huddled in closer to her, the sheets sifting as they wriggled to get comfortable. Before Shelby could shut her eyes, her phone chirped to life, rousing them fully awake again. She reached over and plucked it from the nightstand.

Her face fell once she swiped it open. “Oh, my god.”

Rachel frowned. “What?”

There were no words. She didn’t even bother to lecture them over being nosy as they peeked in to investigate.

Quinn hesitated. “Is that…?”

Rachel gave a slight nod. “Yeah. You gave her your number?”

“No, sweetheart, I did not.”

There, blowing up the small screen was none other than the petite blonde who came back to haunt them again just a few short months before. One hand held a small white cake with a giant red 60 iced over the top, the other raised pointedly to flip Shelby off. April’s infectious grin loomed dead center over the caption below.

_60 days sober= one pair of red wings. You owe me, bitch!_

“What is my life anymore?” Shelby groaned, swiping a hand over her face.

“I almost forgot she was even a thing,” Quinn remarked under her breath.

“I wish I could say the same,” Rachel droned.

Shelby nearly conceded before stopping to reconsider, a playful smile quirking into her lips. How she or anyone, for that matter, could forget that face and the accompanying vibrant personality, in spite of the hell she’d put her through, was beyond her.

_Good lookin’ out, honey! Keep it up. You’re doing great._

And without a smug trace of malice, she meant it. She replaced her phone back on the nightstand before resuming their earlier position.

“So…” Quinn pondered out loud. “You and her, huh?”

“I’ll explain later,” she said hastily, desperate to lull them back before they blasted into a full torpedo of questions.

She gave up and burrowed into Shelby’s side again, both of their eyes closing while Rachel’s remained wide open.

Her nose wrinkled in confusion. “What are red wings?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anybody's still out there, thanks for reading. This was definitely... something.


End file.
